Max Muncy Praises Tarik Skubal’s Elite Mindset Despite Looming $355M Payday

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal is starting Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday, and teammate Max Muncy said the ace isn’t worried about what may come after this season.

Instead, he just wants to play high-level baseball.

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Aug 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) reacts at the end of the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“The guy’s awesome,” Muncy told media including Dodgers Nation’s Noel Sanchez on Friday. “He wants the ball. He wants to be out there. He wants to compete. He wants to be fiery.”

Skubal, who came to the Dodgers just before the trade deadline, is going to have a pivotal offseason.

The former Detroit Tiger is line to receive a life-changing payday when he hits free agency.

ESPN’s Kiliey McDaniel polled baseball insiders on what they thought Skubal could command on the open market, and the average answer was a jaw dropping “eight years and $355 million, which is a $44.6 million average annual value.”
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With so much on the line, you’d think he’d be preoccupied, but Muncy said he hasn’t “heard him mention one thing about free agency.”

“All he’s talked about is just pitching here, competing with us, making it through this playoff run,” Muncy said, noting “that’s rare and it’s pretty special to see that out of a guy that, like you said, he’s looking at a big payday coming up for sure.”

Muncy added that it’s abnormal for big paydays like that to not be mentioned.

“We’ve had a lot of guys that have come over here and they’re they’re free agents next year and and they talk about it and it’s not a bad thing,” he said. “You’re supposed to talk about it. It’s an exciting time for a lot of these guys, but for him, like I said, he’s been so focused on what’s going on right now, that it’s been really cool to see.”

Muncy credited the Dodgers team culture for the continued focus on winning.

“He’s just focused on what we got going on this year,” he said. “And I think that speaks to him, but that also speaks to a little bit of the culture that we’ve gotten here where guys are so focused on what we can do right now that whatever happens in the future is going to happen, but we can control what we’re doing right now and that’s what we’re focused on.”

For Skubal, he’s focused on playing solid baseball for the Dodgers — and throwing as many pitches as he can.

“There’s certain guys where you can see it a little bit differently where they don’t want to come out,” Muncy said. “And that’s been him every single time he’s pitched for us. And I know every time Doc’s taken him out, it’s been a it’s been an argument to get him out of the game. That’s pretty special to see.”