Tarik Skubal Blasted by Fans After Tigers’ Star Claims to Make Just 1 Start in WBC: “What a Loser”

Tarik Skubal will play against Great Britain in the WBC and then return to the Detroit Tigers' Spring Training camp.

Tarik Skubal Blasted by Fans After Tigers’ Star Claims to Make Just 1 Start in WBC: “What a Loser”

Tarik Skubal (Image via X/@JustBB_Media)

Tarik Skubal found himself under the heat of the fans. On Monday, the Detroit Tigers ace claimed that he would be making just one start at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for Team USA.

The southpaw was one of the big names who were announced on the roster. However, the pitcher will only suit up for his country once.

While speaking to the reporters from the Spring Training camp, the 29-year-old claimed that he will make his only appearance as a starter in the pool stage game against Great Britain. After that, he will return back to the Tigers and make starts in the Spring Training and prepare for the upcoming season.

I’m making one start. 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.

Tarik Skubal said

According to reports from MLB.com, this one-start setup was a condition set by Skubal to join the national team.

Skubal had another fantastic season in 2025. After winning the Cy Young Award in 2024, he once again dominated the opposition batters.

The Tigers’ star went 13-6 in the regular season and posted an ERA of 2.21. In the postseason, he once again gave the hitters a hard time and pitched with a 1.74 ERA.

Despite his best efforts, the Tigers were unable to go past the Seattle Mariners and reach the American League Championship Series (ALCS). Skubal, who started the all-important Game 5, threw 6 innings and picked up 13 strikeouts in what turned out to be his last appearance of the 2025 season.

This strong performance saw him claim a second successive Cy Young Award. He would edge out Boston Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet for this award in 2025 and become the first repeat winner since Jacob DeGrom in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Social media reacts to Tarik Skubal playing just one game for Team USA at WBC

Tarik Skubal will only play one game for Team USA at the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC). The pitcher would reveal this on Monday and claimed that he would return to the Spring Training camp no matter how far his country advances.

Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal (Image via Fox News)

These comments from Skubal did not sit well with the fans. Several users on X blasted the Tigers star and called him out on X. One user wrote, “What a loser“, while claiming that he should just stay at home instead of representing the United States.

Check out that and some other reactions from X below:

Skubal is currently set to make his third consecutive Opening Day Start for the Tigers. The American League Central side will take on the San Diego Padres on March 26. Before that, the pitcher is expected to throw a pitch in every 5-6 days.

Tarik Skubal recently set MLB arbitration record following case victory

A few weeks back, Tarik Skubal found himself in an awkward position with the Detroit Tigers. He was the only player with whom the team were unable to come to an agreement before the arbitration deadline. Earlier this month, the 2-time All-Star set an arbitration record with his historic case win.

Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal (Image via Marca)

Skubal had asked for a $32 million salary. Meanwhile, the Tigers countered it with a $19 million offer. This meant that there was a gap of $13 million gap between the two parties.

A three-person salary arbitration panel would later rule in favor of Skubal and make him the winner. This turned out to be a record-breaking arbitration victory in MLB.

Skubal will now have a $32 million salary in the 2026 season. This win of his also comes at a time when there have been several speculations regarding his future.

As he enters his final year of team control, several reports have linked him with a trade move. The pitcher has, however informed of his desire to stay with the Detroit-based team for a long time.

Also Read: