Skubal entered the league with an average fastball at 94.5 mph and stayed right there for a couple of years, but he was all of the way up to 96.8 mph last season, giving him one of the league’s most effective heaters.

The Tigers went from dumping their roster at the trade deadline to winning a playoff series and forcing a Game 5 in the ALDS. They went and re-signed Jack Flaherty to improve their starting rotation, which is a step in the right direction, and added Gleyber Torres to a young lineup with plenty of room for growth.

Tarik Skubal threw only 19 pitches in his first spring start on Wednesday, but one of them stood out. In the first inning, Minnesota Twins catcher Jair Camargo called timeout and stepped out of the box as Skubal was in the wind-up to throw a 1-2 pitch.