Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal warned the other 29 teams that he still has far more to show as a member of the team.
Skubal pitched a total of 7.1 innings on Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, allowing just four hits, two runs, and a home run, along with two walks and just five strikeouts.
The big southpaw gave a quality start, but his stuff was not quite as electric as he has produced over the last few years.
As a member of the Dodgers, he has a 2.93 ERA over seven starts, which is a tick above his 2.79 ERA with the Tigers.
Additionally, his strikeout-to-walk ratio is drastically low, at 8.29 with the Tigers in 16 starts and 4.80 after he switched teams.
By all accounts, he has not been nearly as good as a Dodger compared to his time in Detroit, even just this year.
Skubal’s warning to the league
Skubal, known for being candid, admitted after Tuesday’s game that he has a lot of room for improvement as a member of LA.
“Sometimes I’m fighting myself; I just haven’t really gotten to the rhythm of who I am on the mound yet. There’s still still work to be done in that aspect,” Skubal shared.
“And that’s also what makes this job fun. I get to continue to strive to be a better version of myself tomorrow when I wake up.
“I think there are different things to work on. I don’t think I’ve thrown the ball as well as I know I’m capable of yet.”
The biggest thing lacking for Skubal right now is bite on his pitches, which lack a bit of movement. His change-up, the signature pitch in the arsenal, has the most room for growth.
It is still a plus pitch, but with better location, it can really tempt hitters.
Both the fieldable, manageable contact and the swing-and-miss stuff have shown up at different points in Skubal’s time with LA, but he still hasn’t had an outing where both are on display.
The Dodgers don’t care if it doesn’t come until the postseason, but given the haul they gave up, Skubal has to keep building for the postseason, when he and the pitching rotation will be tasked with carrying the team.
