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Tarik Skubal, the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner, was always going to return to the Detroit Tigers after making a World Baseball Classic (WBC) start for Team USA.
He even got the support of his teammates, who understood why he left the tournament early.
But what Skubal didn’t expect was the backlash on social media from USA fans, who have compared him to notorious American traitor Benedict Arnold.
Indeed, some have called Skubal the equivalent of Arnold, who changed his American uniform to a British one during the Revolutionary War. Skubal doesn’t think that’s fair, especially considering he didn’t go to another team in the WBC.
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Tarik Skubal of the United States reacts during a World Baseball Classic Pool B game against Great Britain at Daikin Park on March 7, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)
Instead, he returned to his MLB squad to continue pitching for an important season ahead of a potential free agent offseason following the 2026 campaign.
“It’s just not fair,” Skubal said of the Arnold comparison, via The Athletic . “But it’s part of the business. It’s part of the game. But if they know me on a personal level and they know what my peers think of me, I don’t think it’s fair to say those things.
“This was always the plan, and as emotionally or as much as I wanted to (stay), it just didn’t make sense given the timing.”
TARIK SKUBAL LEAVES TEAM USA TO RETURN TO TIGERS CAMP DESPITE MIXED EMOTIONS AFTER SUCCESSFUL START
Perhaps it is fitting that Skubal’s start came against Great Britain given the angle of vitriol he has received, but he appeared to have second thoughts about the original plan after bagging the 9-1 victory.
“I didn’t expect these types of emotions to run through my brain or my thoughts to separate,” Skubal told reporters, according to ESPN. “I was pretty dedicated to starting and getting back to camp.
“Obviously things have changed. That’s why I want to have some conversations and try to figure out a plan for me. But yeah, I don’t know.
Tarik Skubal of Team USA pitches in the first inning during a 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game against Great Britain at Daikin Park on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB)
“it’s hard to walk away from it” after celebrating at Daikin Park last week.
But he consulted with coaches and teammates before ultimately deciding to stick with the original plan.
“He’s got the two Cy Young awards, but this guy is about to make half a billion dollars here this next offseason,” Team USA captain Aaron Judge said, according to USA Today .
“So for him to put it all on the line for his country and come out here and show up for us… You know, maybe it’s just a game, but you know there’s a risk with everything you do, and for him to take that risk and come out here and be with us, the boys love it.”
Since then, things have gotten a little tense for Team USA, which was expected to breeze through Pool B with relative ease to advance to the quarterfinals in Miami. Instead, Team USA was shockingly upset by Italy, 8-6, on Tuesday night, and its advancement now hangs in the balance.
Tarik Skubal of the United States before his start in a World Baseball Classic Pool B game against Great Britain at Daikin Park March 7, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)
Team USA will be watching intently as Italy faces Mexico in a match that will determine which two teams advance. Team USA needs either Italy to win outright or Mexico to win while scoring five or more runs.
Skubal will likely be watching in hopes of his Team USA squad coming down to Miami. He said he would try to be there if they reached the WBC final on March 17.
