The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Tarik Skubal, one of baseball’s premier starting pitchers and a two‑time American League Cy Young Award winner, from the Detroit Tigers in a three‑player trade that sends outfielder Zyhir Hope and right‑handers River Ryan and Brady Smith to Detroit.
Skubal Brings Ace Credentials and Historic Back‑to‑Back Cy Young Seasons
Skubal, 29, has been among the most dominant pitchers in the sport over the past three years. He is 7–5 with a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts this season and reached a major milestone in his most recent outing, recording his 1,000th career strikeout against Baltimore. Since returning from elbow surgery earlier this year, he has posted a 2.87 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 53.1 innings.
The left‑hander won his first Cy Young Award in 2024, delivering a 18–4 record, 2.39 ERA, and the AL Pitchers Triple Crown, leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. He also paced the league in fWAR, ERA+, and FIP, finishing seventh in MVP voting.
Skubal repeated as Cy Young winner in 2025, becoming the first back‑to‑back AL recipient since Pedro Martínez (1999–2000). He finished with a 13–6 record, 2.21 ERA, and 241 strikeouts, again leading the league in multiple advanced metrics, including ERA+, FIP, WHIP, and walks per nine.
Across seven Major League seasons, Skubal owns a 61–42 record, 3.04 ERA, and 1.012 WHIP in 153 games. He was drafted by Detroit in the ninth round in 2018 out of the University of Seattle.
Dodgers Part with Three Promising Young Players
Zyhir Hope, 21, has emerged as one of the Dodgers’ most productive minor‑league hitters. He is batting .293 with 23 home runs and 87 RBI in 94 games for Double‑A Tulsa this season. Across 294 career minor‑league games, he has hit 48 home runs and driven in 212 runs. Hope joined the Dodgers in 2024 in a trade with the Cubs.
River Ryan, 27, made his Major League debut in 2024, posting a 1.33 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 20.1 innings before undergoing elbow surgery. Over five minor‑league seasons, he has a 3.43 ERA and 255 strikeouts in 212.2 innings. The Dodgers acquired him from San Diego in 2022.
Brady Smith, 21, has split 2026 between Low‑A Ontario and High‑A Great Lakes, striking out 113 batters in 74.1 innings. Over two seasons in the Dodgers’ system, he has totaled 142 strikeouts in 95.1 innings. He was drafted in the third round in 2023 out of Grainger High School in Tennessee.
The acquisition of Skubal gives Los Angeles a frontline starter with elite swing‑and‑miss ability and postseason pedigree, reinforcing a rotation built for a deep October run.
