The Detroit Tigers have arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball in Tarik Skubal. After his dominant 2024 season, where he was named an All-Star and won the Cy Young, there was plenty of wonder about what Skubal could do in 2025.
He's been the same dominant self in 2025 that he was in 2024, and he might be even better. But while he's shown to be an incredible pitcher, there are still a lot of unknowns about his game. During an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast, Skubal revealed his pregame ritual.
"Once I start my routine," Skubal said. "And I've had my coffee... I drink three shots of espresso, like three hours before the game. That's kind of my dose to where I know I'm awake, you know, for the game, and then I'm ready to go."
Skubal's pregame ritual begins three hours before the game starts, and he kicks off his progression to game day by having three shots of espresso.
The Tigers' ace has a pregame ritual, and with how he's pitched, it's working. Skubal in 2025 has gotten off to an incredible start. In his 13 starts and 39 espresso shots later, Skubal has a 2.16 ERA and a 6-2 record.
He has one shutout, an incredible performance against the Cleveland Guardians, where he threw just 94 pitches in a dominant performance.
Overall, in his 13 starts, Skubal has 83.1 innings pitched and has allowed only 7 walks to his 105 strikeouts. It's been an incredible run for Skubal to start the year, and he's once again on track to make a run for the American League Cy Young.
Skubal is the Tigers' ace and has been a huge reason for their MLB-leading start to the year. Tigers' personnel need to make sure of one thing if they want to see Skubal continue his dominance: continue to supply three shots of espresso every day Skubal starts.