Tarik Skubal ultimately stuck to the plan and returned to the Detroit Tigers. Despite his initial dilemma of whether to choose between country and club, Skubal picked club. In the WBC 2026, after pitching for Team USA against Great Britain, Tarik Skubal debated whether to prolong his stay or return to the Tigers. He chose to follow his initial plan and returned to the Tigers’ spring training camp.

Following his departure from the WBC, Skubal faced some backlash for leaving Team USA. He addressed those criticisms while speaking to The Athletic’s Jayson Stark for the first time after his decision.

Skubal remarked, “It’s just not fair. But that’s part of the business. It’s part of the game. If they know me, though, and 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.”

Social media has not been kind to the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner. After Skubal decided to prioritize his Detroit duties, he was unfairly compared to Benedict Arnold online. Arnold was the infamous military officer that swapped from the Americans to the British during the Revolutionary War.

Skubal acknowledged that being told to choose between club and country is not fair, but it’s an occupational hazard. He is perhaps entering the most important season of his career in 2026, with his free agency looming.

After winning his $32 million arbitration case against the Tigers, Skubal is only nine months away from signing an estimated $400 million contract. If he continued to play for Team USA in the high-intensity games of the WBC, it would increase the risk of an injury even before Opening Day. At this point, Skubal had to choose what was best for his career, even if it meant leaving Team USA.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic had already predicted the backlash Skubal would face regardless of his decision.

Rosenthal had opined, “In a social media-obsessed society often reduced to a cacophony of complaints, the back-to-back American League Cy Young award winner should be spared the cynicism that, regardless of his choice, is certain to come his way.”

Skubal had made one start for Team USA against Team Great Britain when he threw 41 pitches. He gave up a home run to Nate Eaton on the very first, but recovered quickly with five strikeouts, zero walks, and only one infield single.

Skubal revealed that before he decided to walk away from the WBC, he had consulted his teammates. He expressed that they have been supportive of his decision as well.

“And I think if you ask anyone in the clubhouse, my peers … if you ask any peers in that clubhouse, on Team USA, they’ve all been pretty vocally supportive of what I’ve got going on. And they also made a big impact on this decision. I talked to them all personally. I took a lot of those guys aside, and they helped me make a decision.”

As reports revealed, Skubal’s teammates have been sympathetic to the dilemma he faced. His peers, including Clay Holmes and Bryce Harper, had extended their support to whatever decision he made.

“He’s [Skubal] got to do what’s best for himself and his career,” Harper had previously told The Athletic.

Social media critics of Skubal became more vocal, especially after Team USA’s loss to Italy. Even though Skubal was unable to pitch in that game anyway, after he started only three days ago. Pitching on a five-day routine, the earliest he would have been able to start for Team USA would have been in the tournament finale.

But now, Team USA cannot control its hopes to survive in the WBC, which hang in the balance. Even if Skubal stayed, there’s no guarantee that he would have gotten the chance to pitch for Team USA in the tournament.

Team USA is on the brink of shocking WBC elimination

The loaded Team USA entered the World Baseball Classic as one of the favorites to win the tournament.

In the pool play, they faced off against Italy, with the tally reading 3-0 after they defeated Mexico, Brazil, and Great Britain.

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America’s pitching fell flat in front of the Vinny Pasquantino-led Team Italy, ultimately causing a major upset by defeating Team USA 8-6.

Kyle Teel and Sam Antonacci took the lead for Italy with home runs in the top of the second inning, setting the score at 3-0. Jac Caglianone’s two-run homer in the fourth widened the gap. By the end of the sixth inning, with three more runs added, Team Italy was leading 8-0 over Team USA.

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s home runs in the seventh and ninth innings put Team USA on the scoreboard, but they ultimately failed to take the upper hand.

This loss has placed Team USA on the verge of elimination, rather than advancing to the quarterfinals. At present, Team USA’s future in the WBC depends on the results of the Team Italy vs. Team Mexico match-up.

If Italy manages to defeat Mexico, then it will advance to the next round along with the USA. But if it’s the other way round, then there would be a three-way tie, and Team USA would have to win a tie-breaker to advance.