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Detroit Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal Slammed For Bailing On Team USA At World Baseball Classic

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Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal

© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images


While the Winter Olympics are over, sports fans who still want to get behind Team USA at the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Unfortunately for those fans and for Team USA, they have their full arsenal of weapons available throughout the tournament.

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who is the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner and perhaps the best starting pitcher in Major League Baseball, is technically a member of Team USA.

However, on Monday, Skubal revealed that he’ll only make one start for his country – against Great Britain in pool play – before leaving and returning to the Tigers to prepare for the upcoming MLB season.

“I’m making one start,” Skubal said. “The reason I didn’t announce it [earlier] was I wanted to keep the momentum on the WBC, but I’m just making one start and then I’ll stick around for a few games. I haven’t determined what games I’m going to watch. If they go to the finals, I think I’m going to try and lobby to just go watch and be with the guys. But yeah, I’m just making one start and getting back on track and getting back to here.”

MLB Fans Think Tarik Skubal Is Doing Team USA A Disservice

Here’s the issue with Skubal’s plan. Team USA’s doesn’t need Tarik Skubal to beat Great Britain on March 7. In fact, the Americans likely would’ve battered the Brits regardless of which pitcher on their roster took the mound to start the game.

Team USA sits in a group with Great Britain, Italy, and Mexico, and the Americans are widely expected to top the group without issue.

When they do need Skubal, however, is in the potential knockout rounds against top opponents such as Japan, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.

However, by that point, Skubal will be long gone. Additionally, Skubal being on the roster means that Team USA left off another potential starting pitcher so that he could be included.

Fans were furious with Skubal’s decision.

“Yoshinobu Yamamoto literally pitched on back-to-back days to clinch the World Series and is gonna start Japan’s opener in the WBC, and there’s ZERO shot he would even consider passing on starting a quarterfinal/semifinal/final for Samurai Japan. The WBC isn’t a side thing for him,” one fan noted.

“I love Tarik Skubal, but this reeks/smells like travel ball tournament BS. Fly an arm in from another state for a pool play game why dontcha,” said another.

Ultimately, it’s not hard to see Skubal’s angle. He hasn’t yet signed a long-term deal and doesn’t want to risk any injury in a tournament that isn’t high-paying.

But at that point, why even play?

When you compare what Skubal is doing to the attitude that USA hockey players had en route to winning Olympic gold, it really makes it clear how little players think of the World Baseball Classic and representing their country.