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Why Tarik Skubal Shouldn’t Participate in the World Baseball Classic | Deadspin.com

Why Tarik Skubal Shouldn’t Participate in the World Baseball Classic | Deadspin.com

Sports news

Tigers’ pitcher Tarik Skubal announced that he will only be making one start in the World Baseball Classic, and it will be during pool play against Great Britain.

Maybe the patriotic juices are still flowing through my blood from the USA vs Canada Olympics gold medal game, but it’s a joke that Skubal is wasting a spot for Team USA in the WBC. We just watched the United States’ men’s team travel to Milan in the middle of their season and battle it out for two weeks to take home the gold. I mean, Jack Hughes broke multiple teeth, continued playing, and scored an eventual game-winner for the Americans.

Then you have a guy like Skubal, the exact opposite type of guy. He’s not going to take a chance on getting injured before he eventually leaves the Tigers to chase a massive paid day in free agency. There’s no I in team, but there certainly is one in Tarik.

Baseball has struggled to gain and retain a younger fan base in the U.S. market, and the World Baseball Classic should be the chance to captivate the American audience. Instead, players are going to treat the event like a glorified exhibition, rather than giving it the respect it deserves.

The NHL is starting to catch up to MLB in market share because they have continually made smart moves. First, the Four Nations Classic was a smashing success, and because of how great that event was, the Olympics had so much more hype entering Sunday. The game, being an instant classic, also helped grow hockey.

I know multiple people who never watch hockey, and we’re tuned in for USA vs Canada. It’s easy for an audience to get invested in a sport when they’re rooting for their country, and that’s what we should be pushing in baseball.

But that sort of risk is something the other major sports in the US would never take. Putting an entire season on pause so the best players in the world are competing on the biggest stage? The other major sports would never do that, especially in an event like the Olympics, where they aren’t even cut into any of the revenue shares.

Until all of the best players buy in and participate in the WBC, the event will always be a glorified exhibition. It’s just a shame, because the games have been so memorable, and we should be seeing the best players in the world compete in an exciting event. And for Tarik Skubal, if you’re not going to be all in on Team USA, there’s no reason for you to be competing at all.

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Deadspin | Guardians look to keep Tigers down, stay atop division May 17, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images The first-place Cleveland Guardians can extend their American League Central Division lead when they visit Detroit to face the slumping Tigers for the first of a four-game series Monday. Cleveland has won five of its last six games, including a 10-3 pounding of the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. The Tigers have lost 10 of their last 12 games. Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.32 ERA) will start the opener of the four-game series for Detroit. The veteran left-hander delivered a solid performance in his previous outing after serving a five-game league suspension for beaning a Boston batter. Valdez limited the New York Mets to two runs and five hits while striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings last Wednesday. “Framber was dominating both sides of the plate,” utility man Zach McKinstry said. “It’s fun to play behind him when he’s dominating like that.” Valdez was working with a one-run lead before issuing a two-out walk to the Mets’ No. 9 hitter, Luis Torrens, who eventually scored the tying run. “This start mattered to him, just getting him back into the season,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He worked hard to get into the game and I thought he threw the ball extremely well. The two-out walk will haunt him and it’ll haunt us a little bit. But we asked a ton out of him (Wednesday) and he delivered.” Valdez has been a Guardians killer during his career. He’s won all five of his appearances (four starts) against them, posting a 2.30 ERA. He will be opposed by right-hander Slade Cecconi (2-4, 5.60). It’s been a rocky beginning to the season for Cecconi, who has allowed four or more earned runs in five of his nine starts. He has shown signs of improvement in his last two starts. Cecconi limited the Kansas City Royals to two runs in 5 1/3 innings, then tossed four scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels. He posted seven strikeouts but required 89 pitches to record 12 outs. He’s 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two career starts against the Tigers. Valdez will try to cool down Angel Martinez. The Guardians outfielder has been on a power surge, homering in four of his last five games. He’ll carry a six-game hitting streak into the contest. He’s scored eight runs and knocked in eight during that span. Martinez has nine homers this season, compared to 11 in 139 games last season. “Honestly, I’m trying to not get too high,” Martinez said. “(Whether) you’re having a good day, you have a good week, good month, I try not to get too high. This game can humble you really quick. I’m just enjoying the moment, and what happened today, it doesn’t matter tomorrow.” Manager Stephen Vogt believes Martinez’s improvement is a natural progression for the talented 24-year-old. “I think every young hitter continues to grow and understand, ‘If I can shrink the strike zone, and I can bring that pitcher into the strike zone, I’ve got a lot better chance to hit it hard,'” Vogt said. “We’ve seen Angel struggle with chase at times. But when he does keep that pitcher in the zone, man, is he dynamic and hits the ball hard.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Guardians #Tigers #stay #atop #divisionMay 17, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The first-place Cleveland Guardians can extend their American League Central Division lead when they visit Detroit to face the slumping Tigers for the first of a four-game series Monday.

Cleveland has won five of its last six games, including a 10-3 pounding of the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. The Tigers have lost 10 of their last 12 games.

Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.32 ERA) will start the opener of the four-game series for Detroit. The veteran left-hander delivered a solid performance in his previous outing after serving a five-game league suspension for beaning a Boston batter.

Valdez limited the New York Mets to two runs and five hits while striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings last Wednesday.

“Framber was dominating both sides of the plate,” utility man Zach McKinstry said. “It’s fun to play behind him when he’s dominating like that.”

Valdez was working with a one-run lead before issuing a two-out walk to the Mets’ No. 9 hitter, Luis Torrens, who eventually scored the tying run.

“This start mattered to him, just getting him back into the season,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He worked hard to get into the game and I thought he threw the ball extremely well. The two-out walk will haunt him and it’ll haunt us a little bit. But we asked a ton out of him (Wednesday) and he delivered.”

Valdez has been a Guardians killer during his career. He’s won all five of his appearances (four starts) against them, posting a 2.30 ERA.


He will be opposed by right-hander Slade Cecconi (2-4, 5.60). It’s been a rocky beginning to the season for Cecconi, who has allowed four or more earned runs in five of his nine starts.

He has shown signs of improvement in his last two starts. Cecconi limited the Kansas City Royals to two runs in 5 1/3 innings, then tossed four scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels. He posted seven strikeouts but required 89 pitches to record 12 outs.

He’s 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two career starts against the Tigers.

Valdez will try to cool down Angel Martinez. The Guardians outfielder has been on a power surge, homering in four of his last five games. He’ll carry a six-game hitting streak into the contest. He’s scored eight runs and knocked in eight during that span.

Martinez has nine homers this season, compared to 11 in 139 games last season.

“Honestly, I’m trying to not get too high,” Martinez said. “(Whether) you’re having a good day, you have a good week, good month, I try not to get too high. This game can humble you really quick. I’m just enjoying the moment, and what happened today, it doesn’t matter tomorrow.”

Manager Stephen Vogt believes Martinez’s improvement is a natural progression for the talented 24-year-old.

“I think every young hitter continues to grow and understand, ‘If I can shrink the strike zone, and I can bring that pitcher into the strike zone, I’ve got a lot better chance to hit it hard,'” Vogt said. “We’ve seen Angel struggle with chase at times. But when he does keep that pitcher in the zone, man, is he dynamic and hits the ball hard.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Guardians #Tigers #stay #atop #division">Deadspin | Guardians look to keep Tigers down, stay atop division May 17, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images The first-place Cleveland Guardians can extend their American League Central Division lead when they visit Detroit to face the slumping Tigers for the first of a four-game series Monday. Cleveland has won five of its last six games, including a 10-3 pounding of the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. The Tigers have lost 10 of their last 12 games. Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.32 ERA) will start the opener of the four-game series for Detroit. The veteran left-hander delivered a solid performance in his previous outing after serving a five-game league suspension for beaning a Boston batter. Valdez limited the New York Mets to two runs and five hits while striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings last Wednesday. “Framber was dominating both sides of the plate,” utility man Zach McKinstry said. “It’s fun to play behind him when he’s dominating like that.” Valdez was working with a one-run lead before issuing a two-out walk to the Mets’ No. 9 hitter, Luis Torrens, who eventually scored the tying run. “This start mattered to him, just getting him back into the season,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He worked hard to get into the game and I thought he threw the ball extremely well. The two-out walk will haunt him and it’ll haunt us a little bit. But we asked a ton out of him (Wednesday) and he delivered.” Valdez has been a Guardians killer during his career. He’s won all five of his appearances (four starts) against them, posting a 2.30 ERA. He will be opposed by right-hander Slade Cecconi (2-4, 5.60). It’s been a rocky beginning to the season for Cecconi, who has allowed four or more earned runs in five of his nine starts. He has shown signs of improvement in his last two starts. Cecconi limited the Kansas City Royals to two runs in 5 1/3 innings, then tossed four scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels. He posted seven strikeouts but required 89 pitches to record 12 outs. He’s 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two career starts against the Tigers. Valdez will try to cool down Angel Martinez. The Guardians outfielder has been on a power surge, homering in four of his last five games. He’ll carry a six-game hitting streak into the contest. He’s scored eight runs and knocked in eight during that span. Martinez has nine homers this season, compared to 11 in 139 games last season. “Honestly, I’m trying to not get too high,” Martinez said. “(Whether) you’re having a good day, you have a good week, good month, I try not to get too high. This game can humble you really quick. I’m just enjoying the moment, and what happened today, it doesn’t matter tomorrow.” Manager Stephen Vogt believes Martinez’s improvement is a natural progression for the talented 24-year-old. “I think every young hitter continues to grow and understand, ‘If I can shrink the strike zone, and I can bring that pitcher into the strike zone, I’ve got a lot better chance to hit it hard,'” Vogt said. “We’ve seen Angel struggle with chase at times. But when he does keep that pitcher in the zone, man, is he dynamic and hits the ball hard.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Guardians #Tigers #stay #atop #division

The complete NFL schedule for each team was released on Thursday night, and now we have a full picture of how things could shape up. There isn’t a lot when it comes to who “won” with their slate of games outside of favorable bye weeks, or easy opening runs to set up the season — but there are definitely a handful of teams who really got screwed over when it comes to their schedules.

These are the four teams that got an added layer of complexity added to their seasons due to scheduling.

The Cardinals will need to reconcile two opposing aims in 2026: Establishing Mike LaFleur as a winning coach, while also trying to ensure they tank the hell out of the season so they can find their quarterback of the future in the 2027 draft, because lol no, Carson Beck isn’t the answer.

It’s all well and good to say “just tank the year, and give LaFleur a season of grace,” but that’s easier said than done when you’re trying to establish a winning culture inside a locker room. The main issue is that there’s no good place on the Arizona slate where you can find them to at least grab a few wins and prove to themselves that the path is working.

An absolutely brutal run kicks the season off due to playing in the NFC West and getting a rough schedule as a result. Look at this opponent run up to the Week 14 bye: Chargers, Seahawks, 49ers, Giants, Lions, Rams, Broncos, Cowboys, Seahawks, Rams, Chiefs, Commanders, Eagles. That is just horrific for a team trying to find a way to win. I don’t know what the Cardinals did to deserve having FIVE divisional matchups before their bye.

No. 2: Los Angeles Chargers

The big thing with the Chargers’ slate is how well rested all of their opponents will be heading into their games. This chart really tells the whole story, with Los Angeles having an incredible 24 fewer days of rest over the course of the season compared to their opponents.

Not only this, but the Chargers have a bye week that falls too early in the season. They will be off Week 7, and still have the bulk of their games ahead of them. It’s especially rough when you factor in that the rest of the AFC West got fairly beneficial schedules for 2026 and that adds more difficulty for them.

No. 3: San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers’ have two international games, kicking off in Australia against the Rams, then heading to Mexico City later in the season. That would be difficult enough with irregular travel adding to the challenges of playing in the NFC West, but San Francisco also had a brutal run after their game against the Vikings in Mexico City, which comes at a critical time when they will be eyeing the playoffs.

From Week 13 until the end of the season here are their opponents in order: Seahawks, Giants, Rams, Chargers, Chiefs, Eagles, Cardinals.

The only gimme on the slate is Arizona, with so many tough games coming on the road to the playoffs. It’s incredibly easy to hit a skid, lose confidence, and limp into the playoffs at best. In addition, the 49ers have some brutal travel with their trip to Australia, as well as heading cross-country to New York and Atlanta. Overall this was just a brutal lineup of games.

This has much less to do with the fact that the Bears face the toughest strength of schedule in the NFL, and far more to do with their game scheduling. Across the 17 game regular season we see Chicago play five games in primetime, two with 4:25 p.m. ET kickoffs, and they play on both holidays. This means that over half the season sees Chicago moving around days, slots, and zones — which is really difficult when you’re trying to build routine and consistency.

Obviously, Ben Johnson is the kind of coach who can get solid performances out of his players, but there’s no doubt this is a tricky way to operate in a season with all the pressure of national games, the attention they bring, and changing up preparation from week to week. Throw that in with a tough opponent slate and it might be tricky for the Bears to have as much success this season.

#NFL #teams #royally #screwed #schedule">4 NFL teams who got royally screwed over by the schedule The complete NFL schedule for each team was released on Thursday night, and now we have a full picture of how things could shape up. There isn’t a lot when it comes to who “won” with their slate of games outside of favorable bye weeks, or easy opening runs to set up the season — but there are definitely a handful of teams who really got screwed over when it comes to their schedules.These are the four teams that got an added layer of complexity added to their seasons due to scheduling.The Cardinals will need to reconcile two opposing aims in 2026: Establishing Mike LaFleur as a winning coach, while also trying to ensure they tank the hell out of the season so they can find their quarterback of the future in the 2027 draft, because lol no, Carson Beck isn’t the answer.It’s all well and good to say “just tank the year, and give LaFleur a season of grace,” but that’s easier said than done when you’re trying to establish a winning culture inside a locker room. The main issue is that there’s no good place on the Arizona slate where you can find them to at least grab a few wins and prove to themselves that the path is working.An absolutely brutal run kicks the season off due to playing in the NFC West and getting a rough schedule as a result. Look at this opponent run up to the Week 14 bye: Chargers, Seahawks, 49ers, Giants, Lions, Rams, Broncos, Cowboys, Seahawks, Rams, Chiefs, Commanders, Eagles. That is just horrific for a team trying to find a way to win. I don’t know what the Cardinals did to deserve having FIVE divisional matchups before their bye.No. 2: Los Angeles ChargersThe big thing with the Chargers’ slate is how well rested all of their opponents will be heading into their games. This chart really tells the whole story, with Los Angeles having an incredible 24 fewer days of rest over the course of the season compared to their opponents.Not only this, but the Chargers have a bye week that falls too early in the season. They will be off Week 7, and still have the bulk of their games ahead of them. It’s especially rough when you factor in that the rest of the AFC West got fairly beneficial schedules for 2026 and that adds more difficulty for them.No. 3: San Francisco 49ersThe 49ers’ have two international games, kicking off in Australia against the Rams, then heading to Mexico City later in the season. That would be difficult enough with irregular travel adding to the challenges of playing in the NFC West, but San Francisco also had a brutal run after their game against the Vikings in Mexico City, which comes at a critical time when they will be eyeing the playoffs.From Week 13 until the end of the season here are their opponents in order: Seahawks, Giants, Rams, Chargers, Chiefs, Eagles, Cardinals.The only gimme on the slate is Arizona, with so many tough games coming on the road to the playoffs. It’s incredibly easy to hit a skid, lose confidence, and limp into the playoffs at best. In addition, the 49ers have some brutal travel with their trip to Australia, as well as heading cross-country to New York and Atlanta. Overall this was just a brutal lineup of games.This has much less to do with the fact that the Bears face the toughest strength of schedule in the NFL, and far more to do with their game scheduling. Across the 17 game regular season we see Chicago play five games in primetime, two with 4:25 p.m. ET kickoffs, and they play on both holidays. This means that over half the season sees Chicago moving around days, slots, and zones — which is really difficult when you’re trying to build routine and consistency.Obviously, Ben Johnson is the kind of coach who can get solid performances out of his players, but there’s no doubt this is a tricky way to operate in a season with all the pressure of national games, the attention they bring, and changing up preparation from week to week. Throw that in with a tough opponent slate and it might be tricky for the Bears to have as much success this season. #NFL #teams #royally #screwed #schedule

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