AJ Hinch has a solid plan in place for the Detroit Tigers heading into the 2026 season, and that set the stage for a question he posed to Tarik Skubal. After winning his arbitration case and securing his new salary, the pitcher was asked whether he was ready to give everything for the team that saw him deliver another strong season in 2025.
During an appearance on Foul Territory, Hinch revealed the question he asked Skubal. “You ready to go win the AL Central and try to win the World Series?” Hinch said. According to the manager, the ace’s response left little doubt. “He was… you know, in a few exclamation marks, ready to go and would be down here this weekend.”
“My job as a manager is to continue to push and continue to build an environment that helps them, or at least try to, be on Skubal,” Hinch said, adding that as soon as possible they will begin working with the pitcher and the bullpen to align everyone under the same overall strategy.
What could the Tigers’ rotation look like?
Hinch’s full plan for how he will deploy Skubal, or Framber Valdez, whom he recently praised by saying, “I know that he wants the ball, and he wants to be great,” has not been completely revealed. However, early projections are beginning to outline what the Tigers’ rotation could look like next season.
Skubal would sit at the top of the rotation, according to a projection shared by Fox Sports in an X post that drew 136,000 views and 60 replies. Valdez is listed as the second option, followed by Jack Flaherty as the third starter, with Casey Mize and Reese Olson occupying the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
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Reaching the postseason again should not be difficult for the Tigers, who have done so in back-to-back seasons. However, reaching the World Series has remained elusive. The franchise has not appeared there since 2012, when it was swept 4–0 by the San Francisco Giants.
