Team USA will have two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal for just one start at the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Skubal told reporters the plan for his participation on Monday after making his first spring training appearance of 2026 for the Detroit Tigers.
The six-foot-three southpaw is scheduled to start Team USA’s second game of the tournament on March 7 against Great Britain, according to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, before returning to Tigers camp.
Skubal, 29, is coming off back-to-back American League Cy Young-winning seasons. He pitched to a 2.21 ERA in 2025, racking up 241 strikeouts in 195.1 innings.
A native of Hayward, Calif., Skubal is entering his final season of team control with the Tigers. He was awarded a record $32-million contract for 2026 in arbitration earlier this month.
He started the year on the right foot on Monday against the Twins, striking four over two scoreless innings of work.
Team USA has traditionally struggled to get commitments from its top starters for the WBC — a trend that has been bucked with the likes of Skubal and Paul Skenes scheduled to take the mound at the 2026 tournament.
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Watch the World Baseball Classic on Sportsnet
The World Baseball Classic is back for its sixth edition, running from March 5-17 in Miami, Houston, San Juan and Tokyo. Catch all the action on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
Skubal, however, wants to be part of the team if it advances to the final of the event in Miami.
“If they go to the finals, I think I’m going to try and lobby to just go watch and be with the guys,” he said Monday, per The Athletic‘s Cody Stavenhagen.
Before they get there, the Americans are set to host round-robin action at Daikin Park in Houston. They are joined in Pool B by Brazil, Great Britain, Italy and Mexico, with the two top teams from round-robin play advancing to the quarterfinals.
Pool B begins play on March 6 and can be seen on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+.
