Checking in on the Tigers' Tarik Skubal return as the Dodgers stare down elimination

It's bittersweet to watch someone you loved for so long pitch in October for another team, especially one that could win a championship. Tarik Skubal won two Cy Youngs in a Tigers uniform, and now he's chasing a ring with the Dodgers, who trail the Brewers 3-0 in the NLCS.

LA needs three wins in a row just to get to a Game 7, and a fourth just to get to the World Series. It's a steep climb, and if it ends this week, the conversation in Detroit shifts quickly from what was lost to what was gained.

How the Tigers' Skubal trade return looks heading into 2027

The package was Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith, and each one is in a different place right now, starting with the centerpiece. Hope recently kicked off his stint in the highly-touted Arizona Fall League, and is off to a nice start. Through six games with Scottsdale he's hitting .286 with an .873 OPS, five walks, eight strikeouts and five RBI. He hit his first homer on Monday, a two-run shot at 101 MPH.

However, it wasn't all smooth at the outset for Hope when he was traded over. MLB.com noted he had "plenty of adjusting to do" with a new organization and lineup, and after a very slow start, his Double-A line with Erie (.269/.360/.462) wound up being not as pretty as what he'd done at Tulsa (.293/.369/.530). He crushed the ball in September and still wrapped up the 2026 season with 29 homers, 26 steals and 111 RBI, and went deep in the Eastern League finals.

This AFL start is a small sample (and will be, no matter how good or bad it goes), especially after a career-high 564 plate appearances, but it's an encouraging sign. As for 2027, there's a lot of excitement around the organization about how he can contribute, and when he will arrive in Detroit. Still, it's worth not piling expectations on a young player. Time will tell, and the Tigers will give him plenty of opportunity.

The most immediate return is River Ryan, who has already pitched for the big-league club. He debuted on September 21 with three scoreless innings against the Nationals, and closed the year with a 4.15 ERA and six strikeouts over 4⅓ innings in two starts. That's a tiny sample, so the numbers behind it are worth a look. He throws six pitches, and all of them are average or above average according to Stuff+. And he commands them: in Triple-A this year he struck out 10.3 per nine while walking just 2.0.

There may be some injury concern as he's coming back from Tommy John surgery and a hamstring injury this past year, and really since 2024. And although it was that small sample size, his two MLB starts included 6.2 walks per nine, which is a bit alarming. But his lengthy Triple-A numbers make me feel better. No matter what, the stuff and the strike-throwing are why people are excited, and if he stays healthy he should be penciled into the 2027 rotation.

Health is also the story with Smith. He made two starts for High-A West Michigan before leaving his second in the second inning after five batters and a visit from a trainer, and he went on the injured list August 20. With Tommy John surgery in his past, I'd bet they shut him down as a precaution and are aiming for a healthy 2027. If he is, I'd expect him to move up to Double-A at some point, and since he came over in the Skubal trade, the organization should give him plenty of runway to get to the big leagues.

That's the thing about this trade. It's fun to watch Skubal even when it hurts to see him in another uniform, but between Hope's bat, Ryan's arm and Smith's upside, the 2027-and-beyond picture is exciting too. And if the Dodgers can't manage a comeback, it's even sweeter.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow