The Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners are preparing for the American League Division Series, which begins on Saturday. Seattle will host Games 1, 2, and the deciding fifth if necessary after winning the AL West. Detroit collapsed in September, losing the AL Central to the Cleveland Guardians, but bounced back to beat them in the Wild Card series. Two teams that pitch well and have gotten timely hitting, but will it continue in October? Here are the bold predictions for the Tigers vs Mariners ALDS.
The Tigers beat the Guardians in part because of Tarik Skubal. After another dominant regular season, Skubal was brilliant in Game 1 against Cleveland, striking out 14 batters. Meanwhile, Seattle has a rotation full of aces, led by Bryan Woo and Luis Castillo. Cal Raleigh will have a bright spotlight on him after his 60-homer season. Can they all thrive under the playoff lights?
Let's check out the bold predictions for the Tigers vs Mariners ALDS!
Tarik Skubal leads the way for the Tigers
A team with a deeper pitching staff may hold off until Game 2 to start Skubal, so that he is on regular rest. But the Tigers do not have that deep rotation, so Skubal should get the ball in Game 1 and Game 5 as Detroit's starter. In those starts, Skubal will have at least 20 strikeouts against the Mariners' offense.
Skubal has made four playoff starts in his career, allowing just six earned runs and striking out 34 batters. Three of those starts have come against Cleveland, and four of those runs came on Lane Thomas' grand slam in the ALDS last year. The Mariners have not seen the Seattle University alum as often, which should lead to Skubal dominance.
Skubal has made five starts against the Mariners in his MLB career, posting a 3.77 ERA with 40 strikeouts and ten walks in 28.2 innings pitched. That brilliance should continue in two starts in the ALDS.
Cal Raleigh hits three homers
The Mariners' offense finally broke out of a decades-long slump to lead the team to an AL West title. Solid seasons from Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena, combined with trade-deadline acquisitions Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor to create a solid core. But none of those players had the years that Raleigh had, which may end in an MVP title for the catcher. That will continue in October, with at least three homers in the series.
The Tigers have a solid bullpen, and their depth starters were key to victory in the Wild Card Series. Casey Mize gave them a chance in Game 2, while Jack Flaherty helped secure the win in Game 3. But Raleigh will find his lanes where homers can come. That is the key to Seattle's offense, and cannot go away if they have any chance of winning the World Series.
The Mariners win in five games
The Tigers had a great season until August, when their collapse started. Sending the Guardians home after the AL Central disaster was a nice way to put that behind them, but the talent gap in this series is real. The Mariners will beat the Tigers in a five-game series, ending it with Andres Muñoz on the mound in Seattle, sending them to the ALCS.
The Mariners have not been to the ALCS since 2001, and have only been in the ALDS once since then. Seattle is starved for a winner, and the stadium should be absolutely bumping in the Pacific Northwest. That will push them over the edge against Detroit and send them to the ALCS.
The winner of the Mariners-Tigers series faces the winner of the New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays matchup in the ALDS.
