With Opening Day less than a week away, the Detroit Tigers are gearing up for another season that fans are anticipating will see them take another step in their rebuilding process, especially with 2020 No. 1 Draft selection Spencer Torkelson confirmed as having made the roster.
And fans got another glimpse of LHP Tarik Skubal, who tossed eight strikeouts with no walks in five innings of work this afternoon in spring training play against the Toronto Blue Jays. He had a particularly strong showing this Spring, amassing a 1.32 ERA, along with just three walks with 21 strikeouts in 13⅔ innings of play.
“He was really sharp,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “The changeup usage, the breaking ball usage, if he pitches up in the zone like that and has everything working against a really good right-handed lineup, it’s a good sign.”
Skubal will get the nod on the mound for the third game of Detroit’s upcoming 1st regular-season series against the division rival Chicago White Sox, following Eduardo Rodriguez and Casey Mize.
Meanwhile this afternoon, 18-year-old Cuban outfielder Roberto Campos (No. 10 overall prospect in Detroit’s system) blasted an opposite-field home run and is looking forward to delivering to the fans what the Tigers expected of him after being signed as an international free agent in 2019.
Roberto Campos has RIDICULOUS oppo power. 😳 pic.twitter.com/rKdISGyQ8I
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 4, 2022
“It is amazing,” Campos said, with the aid of an interpreter. “You have no idea. Not even myself, I have no words to describe this thing.”
“I want the fans to expect the best from me,” Campos said. “I always give the best of me. I’ve been working for this since last year, and I’ve been preparing myself for moments like this, opportunities like this. I’m working hard all the time to do my best so the fans can have some of that back of what the team has invested in me.”
The Tigers take on the White Sox at Comerica Park on Friday at 1:10 PM EST.
– – Quotes via The Detroit Free Press Link – –
