Tarik Skubal

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #2 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 55. Control: 55.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Skubal missed the 2017 season at Seattle University recovering from Tommy John surgery but pitched well enough in his return for the Tigers to draft him in the ninth round in 2018. He vaulted into top prospect conversations following a jaw-dropping stint with Double-A Erie that concluded with a 2.13 ERA and 17.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He made his major league debut on Aug. 18 and made eight appearances.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Skubal’s biggest selling point is his 94-98 mph fastball with late life. It’s an overpowering pitch he can locate to both sides of the plate, though his command was scattered in his debut. Skubal’s secondaries are still developing. He flashes a plus slider and an above-average curveball, and he should be able to land them in the strike zone more often as he develops confidence in them. His changeup boasts plus movement and is effective when mixed properly, but it still lacks consistency compared to the rest of his arsenal. Skubal uses his 6-foot-3 frame to create a natural downhill attack against hitters and stays in and around the strike zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Skubal’s debut showed that his command and secondaries still need work. His arsenal still gives him the ceiling of at least a mid-rotation starter.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #3 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Skubal was excellent as a freshman at Seattle, where he posted a 7-4, 3.24 record. He had Tommy John surgery and redshirted for the 2017 season in what would have been his junior year, but was still drafted by Arizona in the 29th round that June. A year later, the Tigers took a flier on him in the ninth round. His control numbers suffered but quickly returned once he moved into pro ball. The lefthander reached Double-A in 2019 and tallied 17.43 strikeouts per nine innings over 15 starts with Erie and finished with 179 strikeouts overall. That mark—as well as his 13.13 strikeouts per nine innings on the season—was good for third-best in the minors.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Skubal's fastball sits at 94-95 mph and tops out at 97 mph. He hits both sides of the plate and works it inside on hitters. He throws two different breaking pitches and lands them both in the strike zone. His curveball is in the upper 70s and flashes above-average but tends to get on the same plane as his slider. Skubal uses his potentially plus slider to work down and in on righthanders. The lefthander's changeup has plus movement but needs more consistency.
  
  THE FUTURE: Skubal's frontline stuff and pitchability should help him reach the ceiling of a No. 2 starter in the big leagues.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #321 prospect in 2018 draft
  Skubal put himself on the map after an electric freshman campaign with Seattle, when the 6-foot-3, 218-pound lefthander became the team's ace with a plus fastball. He posted a 3.24 ERA as a freshman and was off to an even better start in 2016 before he went down with an injury and needed Tommy John surgery. Skubal returned to throw bullpens before the 2017 draft and was drafted by the Brewers in the 21st round, but he instead decided to return to Seattle for his redshirt junior year in 2018. Since recovering from Tommy John surgery, Skubal has struggled to throw strikes, with a walk rate that's nearly doubled compared to his first year and a half at Seattle. In 73 innings, Skubal has walked 55 batters and hit another six. He's still striking out batters--close to 12 per nine innings--and his fastball has been up to 95 mph, but the wildness is a real concern. He will flash a solid curveball and an average changeup, but both of those pitches are inconsistent.
• Ranked #156 prospect in 2017 draft
  An Arizona prep product, Skubal was a recruiting find for Seattle, which returned to Division I play in 2010. The team's ace as a freshman, he was 13-5 with a 2.86 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 126 innings halfway through his college career before injuring his elbow midway through the 2016 season, requiring Tommy John surgery. At his best pre-injury, Skubal presented scouts with a physical 6-foot-3, 218-pound lefty with a plus fastball. He pitched at 90-94 mph and touched 95 last spring, complemented by a fringy breaking ball and changeup. Skubal had returned to the mound to throw bullpens by late April and was working out for scouts but was not slated to return to Seattle. He could take a redshirt and return as a junior next year but was expected to be signable.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Florida State League #4 prospect in 2019

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #20 prospect in 2021
• Ranked Baseball America's #34 prospect in 2020

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 55. Control: 55.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Skubal missed the 2017 season at Seattle University recovering from Tommy John surgery but pitched well enough in his return for the Tigers to draft him in the ninth round in 2018. He vaulted into top prospect conversations following a jaw-dropping stint with Double-A Erie that concluded with a 2.13 ERA and 17.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He made his major league debut on Aug. 18 and made eight appearances.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Skubal’s biggest selling point is his 94-98 mph fastball with late life. It’s an overpowering pitch he can locate to both sides of the plate, though his command was scattered in his debut. Skubal’s secondaries are still developing. He flashes a plus slider and an above-average curveball, and he should be able to land them in the strike zone more often as he develops confidence in them. His changeup boasts plus movement and is effective when mixed properly, but it still lacks consistency compared to the rest of his arsenal. Skubal uses his 6-foot-3 frame to create a natural downhill attack against hitters and stays in and around the strike zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Skubal’s debut showed that his command and secondaries still need work. His arsenal still gives him the ceiling of at least a mid-rotation starter.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 55. Control: 55.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Skubal missed the 2017 season at Seattle University recovering from Tommy John surgery but pitched well enough in his return for the Tigers to draft him in the ninth round in 2018. He vaulted into top prospect conversations following a jaw-dropping stint with Double-A Erie that concluded with a 2.13 ERA and 17.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He made his major league debut on Aug. 18 and made eight appearances.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Skubal’s biggest selling point is his 94-98 mph fastball with late life. It’s an overpowering pitch he can locate to both sides of the plate, though his command was scattered in his debut. Skubal’s secondaries are still developing. He flashes a plus slider and an above-average curveball, and he should be able to land them in the strike zone more often as he develops confidence in them. His changeup boasts plus movement and is effective when mixed properly, but it still lacks consistency compared to the rest of his arsenal. Skubal uses his 6-foot-3 frame to create a natural downhill attack against hitters and stays in and around the strike zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Skubal’s debut showed that his command and secondaries still need work. His arsenal still gives him the ceiling of at least a mid-rotation starter.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Skubal was excellent as a freshman at Seattle, where he posted a 7-4, 3.24 record. He had Tommy John surgery and redshirted for the 2017 season in what would have been his junior year, but was still drafted by Arizona in the 29th round that June. A year later, the Tigers took a flier on him in the ninth round. His control numbers suffered but quickly returned once he moved into pro ball. The lefthander reached Double-A in 2019 and tallied 17.43 strikeouts per nine innings over 15 starts with Erie and finished with 179 strikeouts overall. That mark—as well as his 13.13 strikeouts per nine innings on the season—was good for third-best in the minors.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Skubal’s fastball sits at 94-95 mph and tops out at 97 mph. He hits both sides of the plate and works it inside on hitters. He throws two different breaking pitches and lands them both in the strike zone. His curveball is in the upper 70s and flashes above-average but tends to get on the same plane as his slider. Skubal uses his potentially plus slider to work down and in on righthanders. The lefthander’s changeup has plus movement but needs more consistency.
  
  THE FUTURE: Skubal’s frontline stuff and pitchability should help him reach the ceiling of a No. 2 starter in the big leagues.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Skubal was excellent as a freshman at Seattle, where he posted a 7-4, 3.24 record. He had Tommy John surgery and redshirted for the 2017 season in what would have been his junior year, but was still drafted by Arizona in the 29th round that June. A year later, the Tigers took a flier on him in the ninth round. His control numbers suffered but quickly returned once he moved into pro ball. The lefthander reached Double-A in 2019 and tallied 17.43 strikeouts per nine innings over 15 starts with Erie and finished with 179 strikeouts overall. That mark—as well as his 13.13 strikeouts per nine innings on the season—was good for third-best in the minors.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Skubal's fastball sits at 94-95 mph and tops out at 97 mph. He hits both sides of the plate and works it inside on hitters. He throws two different breaking pitches and lands them both in the strike zone. His curveball is in the upper 70s and flashes above-average but tends to get on the same plane as his slider. Skubal uses his potentially plus slider to work down and in on righthanders. The lefthander's changeup has plus movement but needs more consistency.
  
  THE FUTURE: Skubal's frontline stuff and pitchability should help him reach the ceiling of a No. 2 starter in the big leagues.
• August, 2019 Scouting Report
  Midseason update: Skubal has opened a lot of eyes after dominating the Florida State League with plus control and a plus fastball-curveball combo.