Despite a highly publicized departure earlier in the World Baseball Classic, Detroit Tigers ace and two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal rejoined Team USA ahead of Tuesday’s winner-take-all championship game against Venezuela.
Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal rejoined Team USA before the WBC final after an early departure, sparking fan backlash.
- Social media users criticized Skubal for returning only to accept a silver medal without pitching in the championship game.
- The real issue lies with Team USA's leadership, who failed to set clear expectations and enforce accountability for all players.
To say that those hoping to see Skubal carve through Venezuela’s lineup came away disappointed is perhaps the understatement of the tournament. Social media users spent Tuesday night and all day Wednesday tearing into Skubal, ripping him for leaving the team early, then returning, and then not even pitching in the title game, a 3–2 Team USA loss in Miami.
What did Tarik Skubal accomplish in the WBC
Skubal’s lone action instead came in a pool play game against Great Britain, when he allowed one run over three innings in a 9–1 win. Yet, when Team USA earned silver medals after their loss, Skubal stood with the rest of his teammates and joined them in wearing his new hardware.
The Tigers didn’t help matters, sharing a video of Skubal walking into loanDepot Park wearing a United States men’s national hockey team jersey with the rest of Team USA.
🚨BRUTAL🚨
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) March 18, 2026
Team USA slugger Kyle Schwarber received a silver medal from the commissioner and RIPPED IT OFF before he got to the dugout.
It is awful that the Team USA players are being forced to accept the second-place medals on the field after the loss.
pic.twitter.com/kZazSKMgOO
For what it’s worth, I understand why fans are angry — or, at the very least, irritated — with Skubal. At the same time, I don’t think he’s the one really at fault here. Instead, there are two specific people who, to put it nicely, royally screwed up.
Why is the internet so mad at Tarik Skubal?
If you find a Reddit post that is overwhelmingly positive, you may as well play the lottery and build a 20-leg parlay in the same night. No one should have been surprised when livid social media users vented about Skubal’s decision to return and pose with the silver medal following a 3–2 loss.
Some questioned why Team USA got silver medals, which is a valid question in itself. However, the overall sentiment creates the impression that fans initially became angry when the Tigers shared the clip of Skubal on X. From there, things spiraled, and Skubal became public enemy No. 1.
“Courage is telling the US fanbase that you’re not gonna pitch for the team in the final,” one Reddit user sarcastically commented. “Bravery is showing up for the silver medal to knowingly get skewered in the court of public opinion on live TV.”
Another vented, “Thanks for your contribution, those charity innings against Team GB were invaluable. Imagine Nolan McLean having to pitch the final because you’d rather save your precious arm for spring training innings against prospects and non roster invites?”
Unsurprisingly, most of the vitriol in that Reddit thread was directed at Skubal. Yet, few if any brought up manager Mark DeRosa or captain Aaron Judge, both of whom are at fault for this entire problem.
Blame Mark DeRosa and Aaron Judge, not Tarik Skubal
As was the case throughout the WBC, DeRosa completely mismanaged the Skubal situation. When Team USA was putting its roster together, DeRosa should have made the expectations clear to every player. Regardless of how the tournament went, players should have stayed with the team unless there was a scenario requiring them to leave, whether that was an injury or a personal reason. Shohei Ohtani spent the entire WBC with Team Japan, and none of Venezuela’s top players left early. So why would Team USA allow Skubal to do so?
We don’t know if Skubal told DeRosa at any point this offseason that he only planned to make one start before rejoining the Tigers in Florida. Regardless of Skubal’s status as an elite starter, DeRosa should have laid down the law and told him to pick one or the other: Tigers or Team USA.
Here’s the thing to keep in mind: DeRosa spends the season on MLB Network. He has no allegiance to Skubal, and he doesn’t have to cross paths with him in the Tigers’ dugout every day. This would be a far different discussion if Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was the one running Team USA.
I also think Aaron Judge is at fault here, if only because he’s the captain. It should have been on Judge to establish the rules, especially if DeRosa didn’t do so. In this situation, Judge needed to tell the team something along the lines of what I just said. If you leave the team early without a valid reason, then you cannot return.
Aaron Judge in WBC elimination games:
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) March 18, 2026
-3 games
-2-11 (.182)
-6 K
Aaron Judge in the MLB playoffs:
-65 games
-58-246 (.236)
-91 K
Dude has no clutch gene pic.twitter.com/TmLbZsYNKT
Instead, Judge and DeRosa welcomed Skubal back into the fold like nothing happened. The internet users arguing that Skubal didn’t deserve a medal because he only pitched three innings are missing the point. Those in leadership positions clearly failed to set a precedent and basic guidelines, and Skubal took advantage.
As has been the case throughout his time as the Yankees’ captain, Judge didn’t hold a player accountable. It shouldn’t matter that Skubal is the best pitcher in the American League and arguably the best pitcher in the sport. Skubal left early to protect his arm, fine, but every action should have a reaction.
The lesson here is simple: If you’re seeking competent leadership, don’t turn to DeRosa or Judge. If you’re seeking a dominant starting pitcher, turn to Skubal and be vocal about what is and is not allowed.