Seattle, WA

Tarik Skubal’s amazing, heartfelt trip home to Seattle U revealed a lot about who he is

Published

9 months ago

April 2, 2025

Press Room

Tarik Skubal’s amazing, heartfelt trip home to Seattle U revealed a lot about who he is

SEATTLE – If you want to truly understand somebody.

If you want to see a different side.

All you have to do is follow them home.

So on Tuesday morning, I followed Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal to the place where his life completely changed.

Past the city limits of Seattle. Across a floating bridge. Over Lake Washington and into Bellevue, the affluent city where Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.

To Bannerwood Stadium, a small baseball field with an artificial turf infield but the outfield grass can get so wet and soggy that a fly ball has been known to shoot into the muck, get buried and disappear. It is the home field of Seattle University – the place where Skubal pitched in college and his life transformed.

The sky was grey, the air nippy when Skubal appeared in the dugout. He bro-hugged Donny Harrel, his old baseball coach at Seattle.

“My favorite part when he walks in here is that big cheesy smile,” Harrel said of Skubal. “Where he’s just home for a little bit.”

Skubal was scheduled to pitch for the Detroit Tigers against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, so he got permission to spend time with his old college team on Tuesday. Just hanging out.

“Can we cover some stuff with the pitchers?” Harrel asked.

“Yeah,” Skubal said.

Skubal – the reigning American League Cy Young award winner – stood on the side and watched a college pitcher finish a bullpen and then gave a relaxed talk to the pitchers. Skubal talked about everything: how he approaches a bullpen – stressing process over results – to how important it is for teammates to hold each other accountable, to how he conditions and prepares.

“The day before is an important day,” he said.

He didn’t always take it seriously and “I’d almost always come out sluggish,” he said.

But now he does. “The day before, I eat a lot,” he said. “Nutrition is such an undervalued thing. I have a PB&J an hour before every game. It’s something that sits well in my stomach and won’t make me nauseous. The day before, I eat a lot. My dinner is usually pretty big, some sort of steak, some sort of potato. I don’t care for vegetables.”

A few players smiled and laughed.

The Cy Young award winner doesn’t like veggies!

“He just seems human,” Ryan Morrison, a Seattle pitcher, said. “We look at these people like they’re bigger and better, which you know he is, but he’s just a dude. He’s got to eat like us, sleep like us, and that was kind of the biggest takeaway for me. Just seeing that he still has to go through the same sort of stuff that college guys have to go through.”

Skubal walked onto the field and stood on the mound for a picture. “Turf mound baby,” Skubal said.

And he invited the Redhawks to Wednesday’s game. “If Donnie bangs practice,” Skubal said, “I’ll get you guys tickets.”

Yes, Skubal kinda set up his coach.

Then, Skubal went behind home plate for more pictures – to a spot that is incredibly important to his story, back when he was struggling with the pressure.

“One day, I took him behind home plate, and I said, ‘Hey, what are you doing this for, really?’” Harrel remembered. “And he goes, ‘well, you know, I want to take care of my family; and I’ve always wanted to be a big leaguer; and people expect me now that I’ve had some attention to make it; and so that’s what I want to do it for.’”

Harrel spotted a problem.

“How about if you do it just for you,” Harrel told Skubal. “And there was like a cleansing to an extent. We shared some emotion and stuff, and it was wonderful. It just kind of released the pressures and the expectations. As soon as he did that, he went on a run the rest of the year.”

And now?

There’s a giant Skubal banner that hangs above the concession stand at the stadium.

A banner that’s even bigger than the one for the coach. “He’s won bigger awards,” Harrel quipped.

Skubal is beloved by the university, not to mention the baseball program, because he’s so generous with his time and support.

Seattle has a pitcher expected to be drafted, and he was having a hard time dealing with the attention. So a few weeks ago, Skubal got on the phone with him and gave him advice.

“He never says no,” Harrel said.

A few years ago, when the program had several pitchers recovering from Tommy John surgery, Skubal gave them advice on how to cope with it.

“He just told those guys, ‘OK, here’s, what’s going to happen. There’s going to be a time when there’s a fear for you to really cut it loose, because I had that, too,” Harrel said.

A wave of nostalgia

A few hours later, Skubal was in the clubhouse at T-Mobile Park and he sounded nostalgic about his trip back to his old ballpark.

“I spent a lot of time at that stadium,” he said. “Fall practices were six hours long, seven hours long. And then seasons – a lot of trips out there. It’s off campus, so you’re vanning over there every day, or jumping in guy’s cars, whoever’s leaving. It was fun though, I enjoyed those days.”

And he feels indebted to Seattle University.

“I go back because I owe that program a lot,” Skubal said.

A night of honor and respect

Before the Tigers played the Mariners on Tuesday night, Seattle University held a private event on the third deck at T-Mobile Park, overlooking the field. About 80 athletic administrators, alumni and friends of the program gathered to celebrate Skubal.

Then, something happened that was so cool. Skubal left the clubhouse with a Tigers security guy and went up an elevator with normal fans, wearing his uniform pants and Tigers sweatshirt and cap.

At first, the looks on Seattle fans seemed to say: OK, man, the superfan outfit is a bit much.

And then as Skubal walked it registered to some: hey, that’s Skubal!

When Skubal spotted seven of his former teammates at the gathering, there were huge smiles and bro hugs.

“He’s still the same guy,” one former teammate gushed.

Skubal signed autographs and posed for pictures, and Seattle vice president of athletics Shaney Fink presented him with a framed proclamation from the school’s board of trustees. The school is only about a 15-minute walk from T-Mobile Park – but the incredible trip from that place to this moment could be seen in all their faces.

There was a wash of pride everywhere you looked. They are just so proud of what Skubal has accomplished, and he is so proud to have come from this school.

“Our board of trustees put together this resolution just to show our appreciation and respect and appreciation for everything Tarik has done and who he is, not just being a Cy Young winner and all of his success on the field, but just who he is as a Redhawk,” Fink said. “We are so proud and so grateful for all that you’ve done and who you are. So thank you.”

She presented a proclamation to Skubal.

“Thank you for everyone that showed up,” Skubal said, genuinely touched.

He looked at his former teammates. “It means a lot to me that relationships that we built, the support doesn’t go unnoticed,” he said.

“Seattle holds a special place in my heart, he said. “Thank you so much. I can’t say thank you enough.”

It’s impossible to describe how important he is to Seattle University, not just for what he’s accomplished but for how he’s supports the institution. For being so humble and genuine.

“Thank you so much for doing this,” Skubal said.

He was back home. Back with friends and teammates.

Back where it all started.

And he couldn’t stop smiling.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.

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Seattle, WA

Report: Seattle Mariners a front-runner for Cards’ Donovan

Published

21 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

Report: Seattle Mariners a front-runner for Cards’ Donovan

The Seattle Mariners have emerged as one of two front-runners in trade talks with the St. Louis Cardinals for utilityman Brendan Donovan, The Athletic’s Katie Woo reported on Saturday.

Drayer: How Polanco’s departure impacts Seattle Mariners’ offseason

Woo reported a league source said trade discussions between the Mariners and Cardinals have been heating up since the Winter Meetings, and that switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje and outfielder Lazaro Montes – two of Seattle’s top-seven prospects, per MLB pipeline – are two names St. Louis has inquired about, among others.

The Cardinals will not trade Donovan unless they are “blown away” by the return, and it’s believed they are looking for at least two prospects, per Woo’s reporting.

The San Francisco Giants were the other of the two front-runners Woo named. She also said that both the Mariners and Giants remain engaged in talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks about second baseman Ketel Marte.

Can the M’s give up what Arizona wants for a Ketel Marte trade?

Donovan, who will turn 29 next month, has two years of club control remaining. He’s played every position except catcher during his four-year career, with the majority of his time coming at second base and left field. He would figure to mainly factor in at second base and third base for the Mariners, who have young players like Cole Young, Ben Williamson and Colt Emerson vying for time at those positions.

Donovan was a first-time All-Star in 2025, batting .287 with a .353 on-base percentage, .422 slugging percentage, .775 OPS, 32 doubles, 10 home runs and 50 RBIs in 118 games. His 13% strikeout rate ranked in the 92nd percentile of big league hitters and his 13.4% whiff rate in the 95th percentile, per Baseball Savant.

Over four MLB seasons, Donovan has a career .282 average with a .361 on-base percentage, .411 slugging percentage, .772 OPS, 97 doubles, 40 homers and 202 RBIs in 492 games. He won the NL Gold Glove for utility players during his rookie season in 2022.

As for the prospects Woo reported the Cardinals inquiring about, the 22-year-old Cijntje is Seattle’s No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The unique pitcher had a 3.99 ERA and 1.22 WHIP while holding opponents to a .207 average, striking out 120 batters and walking 51 in 108 1/3 innings pitched over 26 appearances (23 starts) across High-A and Double-A in 2025.

The 21-year-old Montes is considered to be the best power-hitting prospect in the Mariners’ farm system and is their No. 3 overall farmhand, per MLB Pipeline. The slugging outfielder hit .241 with a .354 on-base percentage, .504 slugging percentage, .858 OPS, 19 doubles, seven triples, 32 home runs, 89 RBIs, 83 walks and 169 strikeouts over 131 games across High-A and Double-A this year. Montes finished tied for third in home runs among minor leaguers across all levels.

The report that the M’s are one of the top contenders for Donovan came on the same day as they lost out on re-signing their top remaining free-agent target, second baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco, who reportedly agreed to a two-year, $40 million deal with the New York Mets.

More Seattle Mariners offseason coverage

• Backup catcher target emerges for Seattle Mariners, per reports
• Drayer: Mariners’ plan for 2B and 3B coming more into focus
• Salk: What we know and think about Seattle Mariners’ offseason needs
• Why Nolan Arenado could make sense as a Seattle Mariners trade target
• Drayer: Mariners’ plan for 2B and 3B coming more into focus
• The one move Passan says could make Mariners the AL favorites

Follow @ZacHereth

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Seattle, WA

WEST SEATTLE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: As seen from two wheels

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

WEST SEATTLE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: As seen from two wheels

Tonight’s spotlight lights are courtesy of Al, who sent this photo from a stop during The Beer Junction‘s wassail ride tonight – he says it’s in North Admiral, SW Atlantic between California SW and 44th SW. As for the ride, Al reports 17 people pedaled about six miles:

Wherever and however you find lights worth sharing, westseattleblog@gmail.com – with or without a pic! (To see what we’ve shown already, scroll through this WSB archive!)

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Seattle, WA

How Polanco’s departure impacts Seattle Mariners’ offseason

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

How Polanco’s departure impacts Seattle Mariners’ offseason

The Seattle Mariners’ offseason will not be completed in a nice, neat, run-it-back bow, with reports Saturday morning that Jorge Polanco and the Mets are in agreement on a two-year, $40 million contract.

Drayer: Mariners’ plan for 2B and 3B coming more into focus

The number was stunning, with most industry insiders estimating Polanco would be looking at something closer to $12-15 million per year. Even ESPN’s Jeff Passan, one of the few to estimate Polanco would receive above $15 million per year, was likely to be surprised Saturday morning.

“He’s not getting $20 million a year,” Passan told Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Tuesday. “I think at the end of the day, it’s probably going to be $14-17 million a year. If there are two teams duking it out at the end, maybe it goes up a million a year. It looks like it is going to be a three-year deal, but something along the lines of three (years) for $45-50 (million). I think that’s about right.”

The one move Passan says could make Mariners the AL favorites

The estimated $17 million salary sounded outrageous to the show hosts, but a lot can change this time of year, namely the Mets losing Pete Alonso to the Orioles. In comparison, Polanco is not exactly a splash after the loss of Alonso, but his versatility and offense when healthy (an .821 OPS in 2025) were attractive to the Mets.

Polanco going elsewhere was certainly a possibility – perhaps established as a good possibility when he failed to sign quickly, unlike the Mariners’ No. 1 target of the offseason, Josh Naylor. They were well aware of this with president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto recently admitting the odds were technically against them with numerous teams involved. The Mariners valued Polanco but were outbid by a team that needed to make a move. So they must move on.

While the Mariners remained engaged in talks with free agents this week, it is the trade market where the most attractive candidates reside, with the Cardinals expected to trade Brendan Donovan and the Diamondbacks making Ketel Marte available.

Donovan and Marte would be great fits on the field and on the salary spreadsheet for Seattle, but they would come at the cost of prospect capital with the Cardinals, and to a lesser extent Diamondbacks, dealing from a position of leverage.

The Cardinals do not have to deal Donovan, who has two years remaining under club control, but his value presents new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom the opportunity to make a significant early organizational mark.

In the case of Marte, the leverage he brings the Diamondbacks is short-lived as he will become a 10-and-5 player in the first weeks of the season, meaning he will be able to veto any trades at that point.

Can the M’s give up what Arizona wants for a Ketel Marte trade?

On the free agent market, despite reports that agent Scott Boras reached out to the Mariners about third baseman Alex Bregman having some interest in the team, the big-ticket players appear to remain off limits for the Mariners. They have maintained that the door would be open for Eugenio Suárez in the right circumstances. Assuming that would be a one-year deal, that signing seems unlikely to happen. The remaining free agent infielders appear to be more stopgap options of the take-a-chance variety with names like Willi Castro, Luis Rengifo or even Adam Frazier available.

The loss of Polanco and his production at the plate put Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander in the position where they are going to have to make a gamble. They have a track record of making trades that end up requiring lower-ranked prospects than expected. If that is not the norm this winter, then do they make that painful prospect trade, or trade a starter from the big league roster? Does ownership decide it can make a gamble in expanding the budget for a higher-priced free agent, or does it take the gamble of making smaller moves, essentially staying where they are, seeing how it plays out and attempting to make big moves at the trade deadline once again?

The Mariners and Mariners fans have just been hit with a large dose of uncertainty. In the uncertainty are opportunities, however, and the remainder of the offseason should not be quiet.

More Seattle Mariners offseason coverage

• Backup catcher target emerges for Seattle Mariners, per reports
• Salk: What we know and think about Seattle Mariners’ offseason needs
• Why Nolan Arenado could make sense as a Seattle Mariners trade target
• Seattle Mariners pick two, lose one in minor league phase of Rule 5 draft
• With a tweak, Jose Ferrer could be special in Seattle Mariners’ bullpen

Follow @shannondrayer

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