Detroit Tigers return to Sunday Night Baseball for first time since 2017 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
It’s been over eight years since Detroit played under the Sunday night lights at Comerica Park.
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Tarik Skubal was still in college. The last time ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” rolled through Detroit, in May 2017, Skubal was recovering from Tommy John surgery and redshirting at Seattle University. He wouldn’t pitch again until 2018. Now he’s a Cy Young winner, and he’s taking the mound Sunday against the Twins as the Tigers return to the national stage.
A lot has changed.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal celebrates after an inning-ending double play against the Cleveland Guardians during Game 2 of the ALDS at Progressive Field on Oct. 7, 2024.David Richard-Imagn Images
Fidget spinners were the hottest thing on the internet. TikTok hadn’t even launched. Aaron Judge was a rookie with raw power and zero endorsements. The iPhone 7 was new. Miguel Cabrera still hit over .300. The Tigers were starting Anibal Sanchez and trotting out a lineup with Ian Kinsler, Justin Upton, Victor Martinez and Nicholas Castellanos, now known as Nick.
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Since then, the world has turned over a few times too.
COVID-19 shut down everything in 2020. Stadiums went quiet. Fans were replaced by cardboard cutouts and pumped-in crowd noise. Elbow bumps replaced high-fives.
But the world came back to life, and baseball did too.
And the Tigers? They’ve clawed their way back.
Tonight, Comerica gets the national spotlight again. A big-time matchup in a division race, led by one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Detroit spent a long time in the shadows. But with Skubal on the mound, the Tigers are back
And, they’re dangerous.
It’s been more than 2,900 days since Detroit last hosted “Sunday Night Baseball.” The lights are back on. The city’s buzzing. And the Tigers?
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They’re finally back in the conversation.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.