This week is stacked with must-see duels from the All-Star game to veteran comebacks and rising talents. Every start counts, so here are five pitching matchups you won’t want to miss:
Tarik Skubal (Tigers) vs. Paul Skenes (Pirates) — Tuesday (All-Star Game)
Tarik Skubal goes for the AL with a 10–3 record, 2.23 ERA, 153 K’s. Paul Skenes gets the NL nod again with a 2.01 ERA, 125+ K’s. Two of the best arms in baseball face off in a star-studded showdown. This is a “star power” and high-strikeout pitching duel on the biggest stage.
Lance McCullers Jr. (Astros) vs. Mariners Starter — Friday
McCullers is still shaking off the rust after a long layoff. He looked good against the Dodgers but got rocked in his last start. Jack Leiter hasn’t had it easy either, he’s winless in six straight and still searching for consistency. Two pitchers with something to prove make this a sneaky good matchup.
Reese Olson (Tigers) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (Rangers) — Friday
Reese Olson is having a breakout season with Detroit, 4–3, 2.95 ERA, 55 K’s in 11 starts. Opposing him will be veteran Nathan Eovaldi, who for Texas threw a “Maddux” shutout (under 100 pitches) back on April 1 and has since been 3–0, 1.66 ERA over his last four starts. This Friday is a big one: a young gun versus a veteran on a roll.
Tyler Glasnow (Dodgers) vs. Brewers Starter TBD — Friday
Glasnow is back after two months out and looked sharp in his return — five innings, no earned runs. He’ll face veteran Jose Quintana in L.A.’s series finale against Milwaukee. If Glasnow keeps dealing, this could be the start of something big for him.
George Kirby (Mariners) vs. Paul Skenes (Pirates) — Sunday
This is a rematch worth watching. Kirby is smooth and efficient, Skenes brings the heat and strikeouts. They faced off last week and both were dominant. Kirby went 6+ innings, 9 K’s, Skenes 5 innings, 10 K’s. Seattle won 1–0. Expect another close, high-strikeout duel between two very different but very fun pitchers.
