The Detroit Tigers are reeling as they try to squeak into the American League playoff field. Tigers manager AJ Hinch has not minced his words on his team's lackluster play to end the season. However, Detroit has plenty of talent capable of dominating. Riley Greene and Tarik Skubal were two of the team's many All-Stars. Will Vest and Kyle Finnegan lead a dangerous bullpen.
The Tigers ended their series against the Cleveland Guardians with a much-needed win. Now, they have three games against the Boston Red Sox standing between them and a playoff berth. The loser of the series is at risk of watching the playoffs from their couch this fall. Regardless of where they sit in the standings, Detroit needs a good showing to restore some of its confidence.
Looking at the roster on paper, few teams around the league have the same firepower as the Tigers. Greene headlines an offense that sent four players to the All-Star Game this summer. Even though Detroit has struggled to put runs on the board, the offense has enough talent to hold its own against opponents like the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees when the time comes.
Hinch led the Tigers to the 2024 playoffs, where they pulled off a major upset against the Houston Astros. If he can't get his team back on track in time, he may need to pull another rabbit of his hat to make a run in the 2025 postseason. Detroit is far from its peak as the season winds down, but it is not a team that can be dismissed out of hand when talking about title contenders.
At their best, the Tigers have the most balanced attack in all of Major League Baseball. Here is who needs to step up this fall.
Starting pitcher Tarik Skubal
For the vast majority of the season, Skubal has been the best pitcher in MLB. The Tigers' ace is the front-runner to win the AL Cy Young award and could have a chance to battle Red Sox All-Star Garrett Crochet one more time to complete his case. However, the past few weeks have not been kind to him and the rest of Detroit's starting rotation. Right now, they go as he does.
Skubal will finish the season with one of the league's best ERAs. However, the ace is 2-3 over his last nine starts, one of the worst stretches of the entire season. The Tigers have suffered injuries to other starting pitchers and can ill afford to have their top arm struggling to string effective starts together. If he comes up short in the postseason, Detroit stands little to no chance.
Skubal has set records on the mound throughout the year. However, the oblique scare the Tigers' All-Star suffered has thrown him off of his game. Unfortunately, Detroit's losing streak robbed him of the chance to benefit of extra rest that the first-round bye offers. Hinch hopes to not have to use Skubal in the season finale. The pitcher holds the key to success in Detroit's clubhouse.
Outfielder Riley Greene
The Tigers brought Gleyber Torres in during the offseason to give their offense a boost. While the former Yankee has played his role to perfection, he is not the scariest player in Hinch's batting order. Greene has dealt with his ups and downs throughout the season, but he has stepped up as the offense's leader, putting the pressure on him to lead the way at the plate in the playoffs.
Greene is one of many Detroit players at fault for the team's collapse. He has gone cold at the worst time, failing to put together effective at-bats to get the Tigers' offense off of the ground. He and Spencer Torkelson stole the show during the 2024 playoffs. Even though Hinch and the front office have given them some extra help with new additions, their struggles continue.
Greene has matched and exceeded career-high marks this season. At his best, he is as scary as any single player the Tigers could run into during the playoffs. Luckily for him, he has three games against a relatively week Red Sox pitching staff to get back on track. This weekend is big, not only for Greene but the Tigers offense as a whole. If they get hot, they could go on to win the title.
Relief pitcher Will Vest
Hinch did not have a great bullpen in 2024, and it bit Detroit in their playoff losses. However, Vest stepped up in a huge way during his first season as the primary closer for the Tigers. The reliever has been a big supporter of Detroit all season long while also serving a crucial role as the leader of the relief staff. Hinch needs to rely on him heavily to win close postseason games.
The Tigers traded for Kyle Finnegan at the trade deadline to give Vest some help. Since joining forces, both relievers have formed an effective one-two punch that could be huge in the playoffs. Every out counts in the postseason and Hinch has two relievers capable of shutting opposing offenses down when things get tight. If both are on their game, they might be the best duo in the AL.
Vest, Finnegan, and the bullpen helped Detroit snap its losing streak with a close win over Cleveland. The win is proof that the Tigers are still capable of being as good as they were for the vast majority of the regular season. Their late collapse has scared many fans away from labeling them as World Series favorites. If its stars show up this fall, the team could prove everyone wrong.
