Tarik Skubal’s incredulous NSFW take on Justin Verlander signing has Tigers fans giddy

When the news broke that Justin Verlander was coming home, Detroit Tigers fans felt it in their chest. When Tarik Skubal dropped an F-bomb about it at spring training? They felt it in their soul.

Skubal’s reaction wasn’t polished. It wasn’t PR-trained. It wasn’t filtered through corporate buzzwords. It was raw, incredulous, and perfectly Detroit.

“If you would have told me 10 years ago that I'm going to be locker mates with Justin Verlander and we're going to be in the same rotation, I would have called you f---ing crazy."

That’s not just a quote. That’s a fan speaking through the body of a back-to-back Cy Young winner.

Tarik Skubal was all of us reacting to the Tigers signing Justin Verlander

For years, Verlander was Tigers pitching. Now, he walks into a clubhouse headlined by Skubal, who has become the face of Detroit’s resurgence. It's the past and the present colliding in the same rotation.

Skubal admitted he was getting goosebumps just talking about it — and that in itself is telling. Because Skubal isn’t some wide-eyed, mid-rotation hopeful. He’s the guy now. The ace. The standard. The one younger pitchers look at the way he once looked at Verlander.

Skubal specifically mentioned wanting to study Verlander’s process — scouting, preparation, how he attacks hitters, where he looks for small advantages.

“The game is simple,” Skubal said, “but just little edges here and there.”

That line should have Tigers fans grinning ear to ear. Because imagine the reigning Cy Young winner getting even better.

For years, Detroit fans have longed for the bridge between eras — the grit of the old guard blending with the talent of the new core. Verlander’s return gives that bridge a face, and Skubal’s reaction proves it’s landing exactly how fans hoped it would.

Tigers fans see a $242 million payroll. They see a franchise finally spending again. They see a Cy Young winner actively seeking more edges. They see a Hall of Famer walking back into Comerica Park with something left in the tank.

But most of all? They see their current ace sounding like one of them.

Skubal’s disbelief was pure. It was honest. It was the kind of thing fans said in their group chats the moment the news dropped.

And if 10 years ago Skubal would’ve called it crazy, imagine what 2026 might look like.