Los Angeles Dodgers legend Orel Hershiser talked to Dodgers Nation in an exclusive interview about his outlook on Tarik Skubal’s free agency.
As a key member of the Sportsnet LA broadcast and someone who has been around the team for decades, Hershiser knows what it takes to deliver when pitching at The Ravine.
In his eyes, Skubal is the kind of guy who has more to show Dodgers fans, beyond his 2.61 ERA in his 10 appearances.
Why he thinks the Dodgers will be aggressive to keep Skubal
While Skubal was certainly good overall and great in stretches, he wasn’t the pitcher who won two straight Cy Young awards.
That guy, Hershiser says, is still there, and it will show whenever he pitches next.
“I don’t think we’ve seen his best yet, and I think they will try as hard as they can to sign him because what we saw was a guy who fit into a team with amazing chemistry, and he fit right in,” Hershiser told Dodgers Nation.
Beyond his fit, Hershiser, nicknamed the “Bulldog,” sees grit in Skubal that earned the Hall of Famer’s respect.
“What we saw was a guy who couldn’t wait to take the ball. Even though he’s going to be a free agent, he would have come back on short rest,” Hershiser said.
“He would have pitched multiple times. He would have pitched deeper into games than you normally would want him to, if you were thinking about the long term and his health.”
While not going as far as to predict Skubal would return, Herischier was not shy about noting that he is a player the Dodgers typically pursue aggressively.
“I think we saw a very, very competitive guy, a very, very professional guy, a great student of the game, and a great teammate. And I think all of that increases his value, and the Dodgers would want him.”
The Skubal-Hershiser parallels
Hershiser knows a thing or two about what it takes to be at the top of a rotation and carry the mantle of being a Cy Young Award winner.
He and Skubal share that honor, along with the ability to claim they were the best pitcher alive for years.
Hershiser was part of the Dodgers’ last golden era, during which the franchise won its last title since the 2020s.
Looking ahead to 2027 and beyond, if he stays, Skubal could cement himself as the next feisty Dodgers ace to bring a title to Los Angeles — as Koufax, Kershaw, and even Hershiser did.
