Detroit – Left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal has secured a historic salary increase after winning his salary arbitration hearing against the Detroit Tigers. According to reports, the arbitration panel ruled in favor of the pitcher’s proposal, setting his salary at $32 million for the 2026 season.
This agreement makes Skubal one of the highest-paid pitchers in baseball, positioning him with the fifth-highest base salary among MLB pitchers, according to available data.
The established amount also represents a historical record for a pitcher through arbitration, surpassing any previous figure in this process.
The difference between the initial proposals was significant: Skubal requested $32 million, while the Tigers offered $19 million. MLB arbitration rules stipulate that the panel must choose one of the two figures.
This salary exceeds the $19.75 million contract that Detroit agreed to with David Price in 2015 to avoid a hearing, becoming the highest amount awarded by the franchise in an arbitration case.
In the 2025 season, Skubal earned $10.15 million under a one-year deal.
With more than five years of service in the Major Leagues, Skubal and his agent, Scott Boras, were able to compare his value to that of elite MLB players.
Contracts of prominent pitchers such as Zack Wheeler ($42 million), Jacob deGrom ($38 million), and Gerrit Cole ($36 million) were used as a reference.
Looking ahead to 2026, Skubal will be the second-highest paid player on the Tigers, surpassed only by Dominican Framber Valdez, who recently signed a three-year, $115 million contract.
