The Detroit Tigers loaded up their starting rotation this offseason after signing both Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander. However, the latter seemingly caught Tarik Skubal's attention, as the club's ace shared his reaction to seeing Verlander as his new teammate.
While talking with media members on Thursday, Skubal admitted he was shocked the Tigers managed to sign the 42-year-old pitcher in the locker room, according to Fox 2 Sports. Skubal explained how excited he is to learn from Verlander throughout the 2026 season.
“If you would've told me 10 years ago that I'm gonna be lockermates with Justin Verlander, and we're gonna be in the same rotation, I would've called you f****** crazy,” said Skubal. “Yeah, it's pretty cool. I'm getting goosebumps right now. It's pretty special, and he's great. He's gonna be great for our team. He's gonna be great for me.”
#Tigers ace Tarik Skubal would have called you F-ing crazy if you said he'd be lockermates with Justin Verlander pic.twitter.com/vlrF71JxSK
— FOX 2 Sports (@FOX2Sports) February 12, 2026
Justin Verlander is set to play in his 21st season in MLB. He's coming off a one-year stint with the San Francisco Giants, where the nine-time All-Star ended with a 3.85 ERA and 1.362 WHIP, along with 137 strikeouts. The veteran pitcher is expected to join a Tigers rotation consisting of Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty, and Casey Mize.
As for Skubal, who is 29 years old, the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner aims for another big year in Detroit. He's set to begin the 2026 campaign after finishing 2025 with an amazing 2.21 ERA (led AL) and 0.891 WHIP (led AL). He also recorded 241 strikeouts and a 68.4 winning percentage.
We'll have our first glimpse of the Tigers on February 21. Detroit will face off against the New York Yankees to begin spring training.
