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The Detroit Tigers' American League Central lead is shrinking, holding a 5.5-game advantage over the Cleveland Guardians. Last year, it was the Guardians who ended Detroit's magical season in the ALDS. This year, with increased offensive production and another dominant Tarik Skubal season, they are roaring toward a division win. But to win the World Series, the Tigers will need great pitching behind Skubal from Jack Flaherty.
Flaherty signed a one-year deal with the Tigers before the 2024 season. A miserable 2023 second half with the Baltimore Orioles nixed any chance of him landing a long-term deal. But a great start to 2024, a 2.95 ERA in 18 starts, made Flaherty a trade target at the deadline. Considering the Tigers were 7.5 games out of the playoffs at the deadline, it made sense to send him to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Flaherty went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in ten regular-season starts for the Dodgers. Then in the playoffs, he made four poor starts and one masterpiece, seven shutout innings against the Mets, and helped win the World Series. He signed another one-year deal with a player option for 2026 with the Tigers in the offseason.
The 2025 campaign has not been as kind to Flaherty, leading the American League with 12 losses. After allowing four runs in 4.1 innings to the lowly Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, his ERA is 4.76. Thankfully for the 29-year-old Flaherty, Skubal has been sensational, and Casey Mize has been great when healthy this year. But to win the World Series, the man who has been there before has to step up to shut down offenses.
Flaherty has had a roller coaster career, with highs like finishing fourth in Cy Young voting in 2019 and lows like getting kicked to the Orioles bullpen in 2023. He has a chance to erase all of that this fall.
Jack Flaherty is vital for the Tigers
The Tigers went on a historic run to sneak into the playoffs last season thanks to Tarik Skubal, Riley Greene, and an elite bullpen. Their relievers have struggled this year, even after adding Tommy Kahnle in the offseason. Skubal is likely to win his second consecutive Cy Young Award, and Greene has been solid.
But the biggest addition the Tigers made this season did not come from a free-agent deal or a trade. It came from Javier Baez re-finding his form and becoming an All-Star caliber player again. In his first three years with the Tigers, Baez had a combined OPS of .610. In 99 games this year, Baez is at a .716 OPS. That turnaround, combined with solid centerfield defense, has helped lift the Detroit offense into a feared operation.
Last year, the Tigers lost to the Guardians in Game 5 of the ALDS. By adding Flaherty and a healthy Baez to the lineup, they have made enough progress to legitimately contend for the World Series out of the American League. The Houston Astros will stake their claim to it, per usual, and the Boston Red Sox are hot. But the Tigers have the firepower to go up against anyone in the postseason.
The Tigers need Flaherty to step up and win some games down the stretch to avoid the AL Wild Card Series. With the Toronto Blue Jays and the Astros getting hot, Detroit could be kicked to the dangerous best-of-three set. If they are, Flaherty would be trusted with a Game 2 that could end their season. All of the trust in a postseason pitcher is built up in important games down the stretch. Flaherty has a lot to do to earn that trust, but he can get there.
The Tigers look to win a series over the White Sox on Wednesday after Flaherty's poor start cost them Tuesday's matchup.
