Cy Young-sang's ace announced his additional appearance in the 1G, saying, "I felt American pride... "Decided within a few days"

*This content was translated by AI.

Tarik Skubal (30, Detroit Tigers), a special ace who won the Cy Young Award for the second consecutive year, reversed his original plan and opened up the possibility of additional appearances.

Scubal started against England in the first round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas on the 8th (Korea time) and led the U.S. to a 9-1 victory with two hits (one homer) and five strikeouts and one run in three innings.

It was as expected pitching. Despite being a left-hander, Skubal is a starting pitcher who throws fast balls up to 103 miles per hour (about 166 kilometers). Since his debut in 2020, he has emerged as the league's best ace by winning the American League Cy Young Award in succession over the past two years.

Like its reputation, it threw a fast ball of up to 156km/h on the same day, recording a 50% swing and miss rate from British batters. The only flaw was a solo shot hit by leadoff hitter Neyton Eaton in the first inning.

As scheduled, Skubal's appearance should have ended here. He is expected to become a free agent after this season, and his estimated price is already over 400 million dollars (about 594 billion won). However, the American flag embroidered at Daikin Park and the support of 30 Major League teams seem to have shaken his heart.

After the game, Skubal said: "This is going to be one of the hardest decisions of my career. We will make a decision within a few days," he said. "It just changed my perspective a little bit. I felt proud as an American. I've come to think of those who sacrifice for me, and I'm trying to see how I'll do it," he added.

The official Major League Baseball website MLB.com said, "I'm considering whether Scubal will change his mind after making a successful debut as a U.S. representative. It was the atmosphere of the national team locker room and the heat filled the stadium that made it difficult for him to leave the team as scheduled. He explained, "We will discuss with the Detroit club, agents and family whether to continue the WBC appearance."

He also admitted that he was in a pretty emotional state. Skubal said: "I didn't expect this kind of emotion to brush my head or change my mind. I was committed to returning to camp after one start, but things definitely changed. Why I'm trying to talk a lot and make plans for me. I don't know which way I am yet," he said, expressing his complicated feelings.

If Skubal stays, the U.S. national team, which is called the best of all time, will be further upgraded. The one-two punch between Skubal and another Cy Young ace, Paul Skins (Pittsburg Pirates), is because no country has been beaten.

MLB.com said, "After playing against England, he admitted that it is difficult for Scuval to remain in the national team or return to the Detroit spring camp, driven by his encouragement." "I'm not in the right state of mind to make a decision right now," Skubal said with interest.

"Even if Scubal left after taking the mound just one game as originally planned, it would still have been worth playing with USA on his chest. My teammates in the national team fully supported him," he added.

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*This content was translated by AI.