Tarik Skubal
- Free agent est. 8 yr × $40.2M ($28M–$62M) · +3.3 wins to Pittsburgh’s Winter Plan as its #1 starter
2 cautions
- Strong October (2.45 ERA in 11.0 IP): the price model only sees the regular season, so the market may pay more.
- Priced beyond last winter's market: his projection (4.8 WAR) is above any starter signed then (3.3). The model's extrapolation ($43.9M a year) is capped at 1.1× the richest starter deal (Framber Valdez, $36.5M), so the estimate is a floor more than a forecast.
- Injured list 2026: Loose bodies in left elbow (May 4–Jun 13)
Pitching · 2026 percentiles
vs. MLB pitchers with 500+ pitches · 2,356 pitches
Arsenal & Pitch Lab
Movement normalized to arm side · Keystone Stuff by pitch
| Pitch | Use | Velo | IVB | HB | Stuff | Loc | Whiff | xRV/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-seam38% use | 38% | 96.8 | 17.1 | +3.2 | 107 | 109 | 26% | +0.88 |
| Changeup26% use | 26% | 87.7 | 4.8 | +13.7 | 110 | 107 | 47% | +1.31 |
| Sinker17% use | 17% | 96.7 | 12.3 | +13.2 | 111 | 113 | 19% | +0.73 |
| Slider14% use | 14% | 89.7 | 4.0 | −3.2 | 115 | 112 | 29% | +1.47 |
| Curveball5% use | 5% | 80.4 | −5.1 | −8.7 | 101 | 94 | 39% | +0.79 |
No mix change or new pitch clears its bar. The arsenal is efficient for its shapes.
Most similar pitchers
Pitches like Skubal: same hand, shape, slot and mix
| Similarity | Player | Stuff | ’26 WAR | ’27 proj | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | Carlos Rodón NYY · ’92 | 109 | 1.8 | 1.5 | Signed $27.8M |
| 50 | Gage Jump ATH · ’03 | 106 | 1.7 | 1.8 | Pre-arb |
| 49 | Shane McClanahan TB · ’97 | 104 | 2.4 | 1.9 | Arb |
| 46 | Patrick Sandoval BOS · ’96 | 106 | 1.3 | 1.3 | Free agent |
| 37 | Yusei Kikuchi LAA · ’91 | 101 | 1.1 | 1.0 | Signed $21.0M |
Same-handed pitchers nearest on fastball velocity and shape, arm angle, extension, pitch mix, secondary shapes, Stuff, whiff rate and workload. 2026 regulars only.
Pitch locations · 2026
Where each pitch finishes, by batter side
Where each pitch finishes, catcher’s view. The bar marks the batter’s side; the box is an average strike zone. Pitches with 40+ thrown to this side.
Contract & projection
Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR
A pending free agent: no club controls his 2027. Contract Studio →
Minor leagues
MLB Stats API · public box-score data
| SeasonLevel | Level | Team | Age | G | PA / IP | PA / IP ·Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026A+ | A+ | West Michigan Whitecaps | 29 | 1 | 5 IP | 5 IP · 0.00 ERA · 35.3% K · 0.0% BB |
ABS challenges · 2026
Baseball Savant