Cy Young contender Tarik Skubal has two different feet and one overpowering fastball originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Tarik Skubal’s rise into the elite category of baseball’s best is well-documented—scouts rave about his velocity, command, and growing buzz for a second straight Cy Young appearance. But one quirky fact that absolutely doesn’t appear on any scouting report? In a clip of him getting styled on MLB’s All-Star Game red carpet, Skubal revealed his feet aren’t even close to the same size.
He dropped this casually: one foot is a 14, the other is a 12.5.
In the behind-the-scenes MLB video, he casually mentions that he didn’t start buying the correct size for each foot until he reached the majors.
That’s a legit equipment challenge.
Most cleats, even pro stock, ship in matched pairs. When one foot swims and the other pinches, you’re either sliding inside the shoe that’s too big or jamming load‑bearing joints in the one that’s too small. For a pitcher landing violently on the front side 100+ times a night? That matters.
How Rare is a 1.5-Size Foot Difference?
Minor asymmetry is common. Podiatrists routinely see half‑size differences; retail fitters often recommend sizing for the larger foot and compensating with inserts. But bigger gaps become a problem fast. Lower Extremity Review (yes, its real) has reported that shoe‑to‑foot mismatches put people at risk for pain, imbalance, and injury — and that many wear the wrong size entirely, sometimes by more than a full size. Large discrepancies of a size and a half or more are uncommon in the general population and typically require custom fitting or mixed‑pair solutions. In large footwear screening projects cited by LER, significant size errors showed up often in groups without professional fitting support, highlighting how abnormal a knowingly managed 1.5‑size gap is for an elite athlete.
It’s not quite as rare as Max Scherzer’s heterochromia, or two different colored eyes, but only about 11% of the population have feet with such a large difference in sizing.
From Squeezing In to Dialing It In
Skubal said he spent years just wearing one size because, well, that’s what you do growing up playing ball. Once he hit the big leagues and he had access to pro equipment reps, orthotics, and a big league paycheck, he started ordering shoes and cleats built to match each foot. Comfort isn’t just luxury; it’s performance insurance.
Still Dealing
Whatever the workaround, it hasn’t slowed him.
Through 20 starts, he’s compiled a stellar 10–3 record with a 2.19 ERA, an elite 0.81 WHIP, and 164 strikeouts—tied for second in the majors this season. His dominance has carried the Tigers to the top of the AL Central, earning him a starting nod in the All-Star Game and early-season Cy Young buzz.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.