Seattle University Professional Athletes

Seattle University's Skubal Is the Most Dangerous Man in Baseball — On the Mound and in the Marketplace

Tarik Skubal is making the Dodgers look very smart, and this winter he could make them look very expensive.

The Seattle University product delivered his finest start yet in Dodger Blue on Tuesday, September 9, going 7.1 innings — the first time he's pitched into the eighth inning since joining Los Angeles — while allowing just two earned runs on five strikeouts in a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The outing pushed the Dodgers' win streak to six games, matching their longest of the season, and reinforced what the baseball world already suspected: Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, is still very much elite.

His ERA sits at 2.84. His command was sharp enough that after exiting with one out in the eighth, LA needed only two relievers to close it out. Skubal himself noted the performance of standout reliever Edgardo Henríquez, who came on to navigate a loaded situation with the top of Cincinnati's order due up. The win was a team effort — Teoscar Hernández continued his torrid homestand and Will Smith added a solo shot — but Skubal was the engine.

The $490 Million Question

What happens this offseason is the story that will follow Skubal through every remaining start. ESPN's projection has floated a figure as high as $490 million, which would shatter the record for a contract signed by a pitcher in Major League Baseball history. Jeff Passan has called the expected deal "truly absurd." The Dodgers are the obvious frontrunners to re-sign him, but that may not be a foregone conclusion — reports indicate the path to keeping him in LA is getting more complicated, not less.

The Toronto Blue Jays have been floated as a potential suitor. The New York Mets appear to be priced out, with one report putting their realistic ceiling well below market. Skubal enters free agency as the consensus No. 1 available player — and arguably the best starting pitcher to hit the open market since Gerrit Cole in 2019.

For Redhawks alumni tracking the storyline: Skubal was traded to Los Angeles from Detroit earlier this season as part of a blockbuster that sent outfielder Zyhir Hope and pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith to the Tigers. He's thrived in the move, and now stands to reset the pitcher market entirely when the offseason begins.

Marlins Roughed Up Junk in Forgettable Outing

Elsewhere, fellow Seattle U alum Janson Junk had a week to forget. The Marlins right-hander lasted just 3.0 innings against the Mets on September 9, surrendering eight earned runs in an outing that bumped his ERA to 4.54. Miami has been one of baseball's most difficult situations for any pitcher this season, and Junk's line reflects that reality.

No stats were recorded this period for Orioles pitcher Nestor German.

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The week belonged entirely to Skubal — and if the projections hold, so might the entire offseason. Seattle University hasn't produced many MLB arms, but it only takes one Cy Young winner to change your alumni section's entire vibe.

Tarik Skubal Is Already a Dodger. The Whole League Is Paying Attention.

It's been one month since the Detroit Tigers traded Tarik Skubal to Los Angeles, and the Seattle University product has wasted no time making the move look like a steal — or a preview of the most expensive pitching contract of the coming offseason.

Through five starts with the Dodgers heading into September, Skubal posted a 3.00 ERA across 30 innings, striking out 37 batters against just seven walks — a 30.6-percent strikeout rate that ranks among the best in the majors. The numbers aren't just good; they're the kind that fuel bidding wars.

His start on Thursday, September 4 against St. Louis was characteristic Skubal: efficient and electric, if not flawless. He gave up two earned runs across 5.2 innings and punched out six Cardinals, leaving with the Dodgers trailing 2-1. It didn't stay that way. The St. Louis bullpen surrendered the lead in the ninth, and Teoscar Hernández's walk-off double delivered a 3-2 Dodgers win, saving the club from a home sweep. Skubal didn't get the decision, but his presence on the mound kept the Dodgers in it long enough for the late magic to work.

The broader context around Skubal may be as compelling as the box score. With just weeks until the playoffs, the Dodgers are managing their rotation carefully. Skubal, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow are all in ramp-up mode — a postseason rotation that reads like a fantasy league fever dream. Freddie Freeman, for his part, has noted that Skubal pitches differently than Clayton Kershaw, describing him as something of an opposite in style to the Dodgers' legendary lefty.

Then there's the elephant in every room: free agency. Skubal was the centerpiece of trade deadline chatter precisely because his contract expires after this season. He's drawing interest from multiple contenders, with the New York Mets already being floated as a potential suitor — though analysts have noted the Mets' organizational reluctance to commit to long-term deals. Whether Skubal re-signs in Los Angeles or departs for a massive payday elsewhere, the Seattle U alum is set to be the defining story of the MLB offseason.

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Janson Junk Holds His Own in Miami

While Skubal dominates headlines, fellow Seattle U alum Janson Junk has been quietly grinding through a serviceable stretch for the Marlins. The right-hander made two appearances during the period: on August 30 against Washington, he went 4.2 innings, allowing one earned run with two strikeouts; then on September 4 against the Cubs, he turned in a sharper effort — five innings, one earned run, four strikeouts — with his ERA settling at 4.00 on the season.

Neither outing will generate national buzz, but Junk is doing what depth arms do: eating innings and keeping Miami competitive. In a Marlins rebuild, that's not nothing.

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Two Seattle U arms, two very different stages. Skubal is pitching for championships and a nine-figure contract. Junk is fighting for roster real estate. Both are in the show — and that's the Redhawks' quiet calling card in professional baseball.

Tarik Skubal Faces His Past — and Wins

There were scattered boos from the Comerica Park faithful. And then there was Tarik Skubal doing what Tarik Skubal does: making hitters look helpless.

The Seattle University alum made his first start against the Detroit Tigers since the franchise traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the MLB deadline, delivering six innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts in a 2–1 Dodgers win on Friday, Aug. 28. Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas each chipped in RBI singles for the only offense either team would need, as Skubal's arm did the rest of the heavy lifting.

The emotion of the moment was real and immediate. Skubal shed tears before the game and acknowledged afterward that nearly everything felt "weird" — from his pregame routine to a PitchCom malfunction in the very first at-bat. Yet none of it disrupted his execution. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed the club intentionally managed Skubal's pitch count with the stretch run in mind, pulling him after six frames despite his command being firmly intact.

The crowd's reception was largely warm — cheers outweighing boos — a nod to the affection Tigers fans still carry for the left-hander who was one of the organization's signature homegrown stars. Skubal said he felt he managed to keep his emotions in check on the mound, even if the pregame scene told a different story. Less than a month removed from one of the summer's biggest trades, he's now 2.84 ERA into his Dodgers tenure and looking every bit like the ace Los Angeles acquired.

One note of caution: FanSided flagged that Skubal has been operating at elevated pitch counts in his recent Dodgers starts, raising questions about workload management as the playoff push intensifies. Roberts' decision to cap Friday's outing at six innings may reflect awareness of exactly that concern.

Janson Junk Keeps Rolling in Miami

While Skubal commanded the national spotlight, fellow Seattle U alum Janson Junk logged a quietly useful week for the Miami Marlins. On Sunday, Aug. 23, Junk turned in 4.2 innings against the Washington Nationals, allowing just one run and striking out two in a 6–2 Miami win. He followed that with a single inning of work against the Red Sox on Wednesday, Aug. 26, maintaining his 4.21 ERA on the season.

Junk isn't making headlines the way his alma mater's most famous arm is, but he's holding a roster spot on a rebuilding Marlins club and eating innings — no small thing in August.

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Seattle University's MLB footprint is small but suddenly very visible. One alum is chasing a championship in Dodger Blue; another is grinding through a major league season in South Florida. It's a good week to be a Redhawk.

The Ace Is Doing His Job

Tarik Skubal came to Los Angeles with a Cy Young on his résumé and a chip on his shoulder. Through his first month in Dodger blue, the Seattle University product has mostly held up his end of the bargain — even if the box scores don't always reflect it.

In his fourth start as a Dodger on Saturday, August 22 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Skubal was dominant: 7 innings, 11 strikeouts, 3 earned runs, dropping his ERA to 2.91. It was the kind of outing that reminded everyone why the Dodgers surrendered significant assets to pry him from Detroit at the trade deadline. Over his first three starts in Los Angeles, he posted a 3.18 ERA with 19 strikeouts across 17 innings — consistent, durable, and exactly what a playoff-caliber rotation needs.

A Winning Pitcher Stuck in a Losing Effort

The bigger story of Skubal's first weeks in LA isn't what he's doing on the mound — it's what his teammates aren't doing at the plate. In his third start on August 16 against the first-place Milwaukee Brewers, Skubal threw six innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts, only to watch the Dodgers offense go 1-for-10 with runners on base in a 6-2 defeat. Los Angeles dropped three of four in the series, taking a meaningful hit to their NL home-field advantage hopes.

Skubal didn't hide his frustration. He called out his own pitch efficiency after the loss — burning a career-high 109 pitches over six innings — calling it "not acceptable," even as the offense around him went quietly into the night. Manager Dave Roberts echoed concerns about the team's overall performance, acknowledging the Brewers series loss could prove costly down the stretch.

Multiple analysts and columnists, including pieces in the LA Times and FanSided, have pointed to the same uncomfortable reality: Skubal is grinding out quality starts, but the Dodgers' slumping bats are leaving him with nothing to show for it.

Free Agency Buzz Already Building

Skubal's strong performance — even amid team struggles — has done nothing to quiet the conversation about his upcoming free agency. An MLB insider prediction circulating this week projects a Dodgers-Mets bidding war for Skubal's services this offseason, echoing the blockbuster free-agent dynamics of last winter. At 29 and coming off a Cy Young season with Detroit, Skubal is positioned to command one of the largest pitching contracts in recent memory.

Whether the Dodgers can keep him will likely depend in part on how October unfolds — and whether LA's offense finds its footing before then.

Also Tracked: Janson Junk

Marlins right-hander Janson Junk made a start on August 17 against the Phillies, logging 5 innings, 2 strikeouts, and 2 earned runs, holding his ERA at 4.37. It was a workmanlike outing for the Seattle U alum in what has been a rebuilding season for Miami.

The Redhawks' representation in MLB this week was defined almost entirely by Skubal's marquee story — a pitcher good enough to carry a team, currently waiting for a team willing to carry him back.