Tigers' Tarik Skubal ends Bo Bichette's career with disgusting curveball

The Tigers went 21-10 when Tarik Skubal started games for them last season, and through just two starts in spring training so far this year, there's every reason to believe that we're going to see more of the same in 2025. AJ Hinch, to no one's surprise, confirmed that Skubal will be the Tigers' Opening Day starter when they're on the road to begin the season in LA, and if anyone can cut through that Dodgers lineup, it's Skubal.

In his first Grapefruit League start against the Twins last week, he pitched two innings and only gave up one hit while striking out a batter. In his most recent start against the Blue Jays on Monday, he was even better. The Tigers kept him out for three innings and he notched three strikeouts.

The first came on Jays star Bo Bichette, the first batter to face Skubal in the top of the first. Skubal took him down in three pitches, the second of which was an absolutely devastating curveball (or his patented changeup, per MLB Gameday), that basically just disappeared on Bichette.

He swung out of his shoes at it but never stood a chance. The force of the swing had him going down to one knee and then falling over completely, and he needed to take a timeout in the 0-2 count just to recover from how brutal it was.

Tarik Skubal absolutely devastates Bo Bichette with a nasty curveball in second outing of spring training for Tigers

That at-bat ended with a sinker that clipped the top of the zone for a called strike, and Skubal made quick work of both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander on a fly out and pop up to retire the side in order.

The top of the second was more of the same: George Springer, Andrés Giménez, and Alejandro Kirk all managed to make contact but couldn't get a hit down. Ernie Clement managed to get a single off of Skubal in the third, but not before Davis Schneider and Nathan Lukes had both gone down swinging — Schneider on another one of those beautiful changeups and Lukes on a 98 MPH fastball that he had no chance at. Skubal retired Bichette again on a lineout to end the frame.

That fall from Bichette is so brutal that it wouldn't be surprising if he contemplated retirement right then and there, just to escape from the embarrassment of it all. Tigers fans are already grateful to have Skubal as our ace, but the fact that he was able to get that kind of reaction out of an All-Star and rival from across the river? Priceless.