The Tigers and Padres are forever tied to their matchup in the 1984 World Series, a Fall Classic that remains the Tigers’ last world championship.
With a stacked rotation, a lineup of hitters entering their prime and an influx of top prospect talent, this year might have the Tigers in their best position to challenge that in over a decade. But they need to earn a third consecutive postseason spot first, possibly through their first American League Central title since 2014. That quest begins here against a Padres team that has had its own run of October baseball but is looking to take the next step as well.
The Padres, runners up to the Dodgers in the National League West in back-to-back seasons, look to topple the champs by bringing a stacked, yet strategic, roster into 2026. San Diego began last season with a 7-0 homestand that included sweeps of the Braves and Guardians by a combined 36-11 margin. It set the tone for a season of dominance at home; the Padres went 52-29 at Petco Park. They added veteran right-handed hitters in Miguel Andujar and former Tiger Nick Castellanos in part to help their offense against left-handed pitching.
The Tigers were swept in three games at Dodger Stadium to open last season, but regrouped quickly on their way to a second consecutive AL Wild Card berth. Part of their recovery was a winning record away from Comerica Park (41-40). They lost two of three in their last visit to Petco Park in 2024, but avoided a series sweep thanks to a ninth-inning grand slam by Parker Meadows in the series finale. That comeback set the tone for a 16-4 September stretch that allowed them to capture a postseason berth, their first in a decade. A series win in their return could help them to the kind of torrid start they enjoyed last season, when they entered the All-Star break with baseball’s best record.
Tigers: LHP Tarik Skubal
Previous Opening Day starts: 2 (2024, '25)
2025 season: 13-6, 2.21 ERA in 31 starts (AL Cy Young Award winner)
After an offseason of trade intrigue and a Spring Training of World Baseball Classic drama, Skubal gets to tune out the noise and focus on an opposing lineup. The 29-year-old has faced the Padres only once in his career, tossing six innings with two unearned runs on three hits in a no-decision on July 27, 2022, at Comerica Park. Manny Machado and Jake Cronenworth are the only Padres left from San Diego’s starting lineup that day.
The Padres hit lefties worse than righties last year, but they can now stack their lineup with right-handed batters, including Andujar and Castellanos. But it’ll matter little unless they can figure out how to hit Skubal’s elite changeup, a great equalizer of a pitch that’s nasty as ever judging by Spring Training. His fastball reached 99 mph this spring, and he’s working on using his curveball to freeze batters gearing up for his velocity.
Skubal took the loss for the Tigers on Opening Day last year at Dodger Stadium, where a pair of homers saddled him with four runs over five innings, along with a walk and two strikeouts. He lost his first two starts last season, both on the West Coast, then went 10-0 with a 1.62 ERA over his next 16 outings.
Padres: TBD
The Padres haven’t yet named their Opening Day starter, but they’re approaching an announcement in the coming days -- “before Opening Day,” joked new manager Craig Stammen.
The obvious options for that role are Nick Pivetta and Michael King. Pivetta would seem to be the favorite, coming off the best season of his career in which he posted a 2.87 ERA. In what became a turbulent season on the mound for the Padres, Pivetta was a steadying force. He took the ball 31 times, then started Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series.
Pivetta dealt with a minor bout of “arm fatigue” earlier in camp -- which could be part of the reason behind the delay in the Padres’ announcement. But he said he felt back to normal after his return to the mound last weekend, having missed only one start.
Of course, there’s a case for King, as well. The right-hander was last year’s choice, then endured an up-and-down season marred by injury. He was excellent across the first two months but missed virtually half the season with a nerve issue and a left knee injury. When he returned, he clearly wasn’t himself (and hasn’t looked particularly sharp this spring either).
Nonetheless, the Padres are expecting a bounceback from King. They brought him back on a three-year deal during the offseason. He’d presumably get the ball in either Game 1 or Game 2. Randy Vásquez has also seemingly secured a spot in the rotation. And with Joe Musgrove expected to open the year on the IL, two places remain available at the back of the rotation.