Yardbarker
x
Tarik Skubal Hits Back At Critics Over 'Unfair' Comments
Tarik Skubal (Image Credits: Imagn)

Tarik Skubal Hits Back At Critics Over 'Unfair' Comments

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports
By Paranjoy Goswami  |  Last updated Mar 12, 2026 2:49 AM ET

Tarik Skubal was one of the headline additions to the Team USA roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. However, the reigning two-time Cy Young winner announced he would only make one start in the tournament. Skubal left Team USA a couple of nights after his appearance against Great Britain on Saturday.

Following his return to the Detroit Tigers’ spring training camp in Lakeland, Florida, Tarik Skubal received a lot of flak from the fans for prioritizing personal interests over service for his country. Skubal believes the criticism is unjustified, especially as it comes from people who do not know him personally. He stated the players and staff of Team USA will not agree with those comments.

“It’s just not fair,” he told Jayson Stark of The Athletic. “But that’s part of the business. It’s part of the game. If they know me, though, and they know me on a personal level, and they know what my peers think of me, I don’t think it’s fair to say those things.

“A lot of those opinions and narratives are created by people that don’t know me, you know?” he added. “And I think if you ask anyone in the clubhouse, my peers—you ask any peers in that clubhouse, on Team USA—they’ve all been pretty vocally supportive of what I’ve got going on.”

Following his debut against Great Britain, Tarik Skubal contemplated making more than one start in the WBC and remaining with Team USA until the end of their journey. However, he eventually stuck to his original decision and left the clubhouse after their win over Mexico on Monday night.

Tarik Skubal Consulted Team USA Clubhouse Before Leaving WBC


Tarik Skubal (Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)

Regarding his return to the Detroit Tigers, Tarik Skubal said he only finalized his decision after consulting with his teammates in the USA clubhouse. The 29-year-old left-hander would have had to go back on his commitment to be the Opening Day starter for the Tigers if he chose to stay on with Team USA in the WBC.

“And they also made a big impact on [this decision]. I talked to them all personally. I took a lot of those guys aside, and [they] helped me make a decision. So the narrative that’s created outside. I can’t control it. I want to control what I can control. And I can’t control the narrative,” Tarik Skubal said.

“Then it’s nine days away, and then I’m going to miss Opening Day,” he added. “And now I’m impacting my team because we’re going to have to juggle schedules around to get somebody else to [start the opener].

Tarik Skubal won a record arbitration settlement against the Tigers in February for his final year of club control. Considering he will most probably be the most valuable free agent in the next offseason, extending his participation with Team USA in the WBC could increase his chances of picking up a devastating injury.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.