Tigers ace Tarik Skubal wins record $32M arbitration case for 2026 season

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal made MLB history Thursday, reportedly winning an arbitration case that will pay him $32 million this season after his team proposed a $19 million salary.

Skubal, who won his second straight American League Cy Young Award in 2025, had a three-person salary arbitration panel rule in his favor, ESPN reported.

Skubal’s victory marks a new salary record awarded to a player in the arbitration system by $1 million. The New York Yankees avoided arbitration with Juan Soto in January 2024, awarding him a $31 million deal for that year.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts after giving up a hit against the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning at Target Field in Minneapolis Aug. 14, 2025. (Jesse Johnson/Imagn Images)

Skubal had a unique position heading into arbitration with five-plus years of service time, while also being able to use the “special accomplishment” clause, which factors in winning Cy Young Awards. It allowed Skubal to compare his proposed salary not just to those who have faced arbitration, but the entire league.

As a result, Skubal could point to pitchers like Zack Wheeler ($42 million), Jacob deGrom ($38 million) and Gerrit Cole ($36 million) heading into 2026.

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The Tigers’ previous arbitration high was $19.75 million paid out to David Price, another talented left-handed starter for the organization, to avoid a hearing in 2015.  

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal high-fives teammates in the dugout after a pitching change during the seventh inning at Comerica Park in Detroit May 14, 2025. (Junfu Han/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

As for his future, Skubal will become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season, though lots can happen until then. This arbitration victory doesn’t necessarily guarantee he will spend the entire season in Detroit, especially considering the trade rumors that have swirled around the organization.

The Tigers did, however, bolster their chances at repeating as AL Central champions, acquiring veteran left-handed starter Framer Valdez via free agency. They inked a three-year, $115 million deal with Valdez Wednesday, hours before the panel’s decision on Skubal.

Now, Detroit heads into the season with one of the best one-two punches in a starting rotation in all of MLB.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal pitches in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park in Detroit Sept. 6, 2025. (Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)

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After a fantastic 2024 campaign that ended with some much-deserved hardware, Skubal followed it up with an AL-leading 2.21 ERA over 195⅓ innings in 31 starts. He also struck out 241 batters, 13 more than his league-leading mark the previous year.

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