Lance Parrish: Detroit Tigers’ Lou Whitaker deserves Hall of Fame
On “Days of Roar,” Detroit Tigers legend Lance Parrish vouches for Lou Whitaker to join the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is joining Team USA.
The reigning back-to-back Cy Young winner committed Thursday, Dec. 18, to Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, an international baseball tournament that involves 20 teams. The event begins March 5 and ends March 17.
It will be Skubal’s first experience competing for Team USA.
Managed by Mark DeRosa, Team USA has a stacked roster featuring many MLB superstars, including Skubal, outfielder Aaron Judge, right-hander Paul Skenes, infielder Bobby Witt Jr., infielder Gunnar Henderson, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, catcher Cal Raleigh, outfielder Corbin Carroll, right-handed reliever Mason Miller and right-handed reliever David Bednar.
The official 30-man roster won’t be set until early February.
The Team USA starting rotation will be headlined by Skubal and Skenes as the defending Cy Young winners in the American League and National League, respectively, but it also features right-hander Joe Ryan.
This is the sixth edition of the WBC.
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Only twice has Team USA reached the championship game, losing the 2023 WBC to the Shohei Ohtani-led Team Japan and winning the 2017 WBC over Team Puerto Rico with Tigers legend Jim Leyland serving as the Team USA manager.
In 2026, Team USA is a member of Pool B at Daikin Park in Houston, joining Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil. The first game for Team USA is scheduled for March 6 against Brazil.
There are three other pools: Pool A with Puerto Rico, Panama, Cuba, Canada and Colombia; Pool C with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Czechia and Chinese Taipei; Pool D with Venezuela, Netherlands, Dominican Republic, Israel and Nicaragua.
The top two teams from each of the four pools will advance to the single-elimination bracket, with the championship game set for March 17 at loanDepot Park in Miami.
From 2024-25, Skubal posted a 2.30 ERA with a 4.5% walk rate and 31.2% strikeout rate across 387â…“ innings in 62 starts, establishing himself as the best pitcher in baseball. The 29-year-old led the AL with a 2.39 ERA in 2024 and a 2.21 ERA in 2025.
Skubal becomes a free agent after the 2026 season.
Before that happens, he will showcase his elite talent on the worldwide stage for the first time in his life.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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