The Los Angeles Dodgers brought in Tarik Skubal with October in mind. A Los Angeles Times commentary published Oct. 1, 2026, says the club acquired the two-time Cy Young Award winner to strengthen its push for a third straight World Series title. The column says that puts a big postseason spotlight on the left-hander.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Skubal says winning a championship would define his legacy. The headline calls him a "hired gun," which points to the narrow reason he was brought in.
Skubal also talked about a hard postseason memory. The Times reports that he still feels the sting of a five-run postseason collapse. He also says the way he responded to it showed him something about himself. The column excerpt we have does not say when that outing happened.
The commentary also gives some career context. Skubal turns 30 next month, and one of his two Cy Young awards was unanimous. The Times writes that he could sign the largest contract of any pitcher in major league history this fall.
The column's author also gives a personal view: Skubal's career may be only about halfway done, and he will already be remembered as a star. That is the writer's assessment, not a reported fact.