A few weeks ago, the Detroit Tigers hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates for a series at Comerica Park. A matchup between a team at the top of the American League Central and another at the bottom of the National League Central normally doesn’t draw a lot of attention; however, baseball fans were hopeful they could see a pitching duel between Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes.
The baseball gods gave everyone hope when a rainout set the two starters to pitch on the same day of a doubleheader. Unfortunately, Skubal’s preference to pitch the first game didn’t give the fans what they wanted, postponing the electric pitching duel for another day.
On Wednesday, the door was opened for a massive showdown ahead of next week’s All-Star Game in Atlanta, potentially giving Major League Baseball the blockbuster matchup it missed just a few weeks ago.
Tarik Skubal’s Friday Start Could Set Up All-Star Showdown With Paul Skenes
The Tigers announced on Wednesday that they are adjusting their rotation ahead of this weekend’s series with the Seattle Mariners. According to MLive's Evan Woodbery, Skubal was slated to start Saturday’s game, but will be moved to Friday’s start so that he’ll be able to pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star Game without limitations.
Pitching plan for final series before the ASB against the M's:
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) July 9, 2025
Friday, 7:10 p.m.
LHP Tarik Skubal (10-2, 2.02)
Saturday, 1:10 p.m.
RHP Casey Mize (9-2, 2.63)
Sunday, 1:40 p.m.
RHP Jack Flaherty (5-9, 4.70)
Notable that Skubal is jumping ahead of Mize. That will give him an…
While the decision moves Casey Mize from Friday to Saturday, the biggest impact could happen if Skubal and Skenes start for the American and National League, respectively, next week.
Skubal is deserving of the starting nod for the AL, going 10-2 with a 2.02 ERA and 148 strikeouts this season. While the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner seems like an obvious choice, he faces a few obstacles before getting the ball in Atlanta.
First, Skubal needs to beat out a worthy competitor in New York Yankees left-hander Max Fried. Fried is also worthy of taking the ball first on Tuesday night, posting an 11-2 record and a 2.27 ERA in 19 starts this season. The 31-year-old also has the advantage of having his manager represent the American League after Aaron Boone led New York to the World Series last season.
Skenes has his own obstacles to start for the National League. While he leads the MLB with a 1.94 ERA after 19 starts, the Pirates haven’t helped him out, saddling him with a 4-7 record. The 23-year-old is also likely to start sometime during Pittsburgh’s weekend series against the Minnesota Twins.
While all signs point to his pitching in Saturday’s game, it has not been announced by the Pirates and could change his availability for the All-Star Game.
It wouldn't be the same as if Skenes and Skubal went toe-to-toe for seven innings last month. At the same time, it would be some consolation to see two of the best pitchers go head-to-head against some of baseball’s best.
The Tigers have held up their end of the bargain for now, and it remains to be seen if the other factors will allow a Skenes vs. Skubal showdown to happen.