The Detroit Tigers have had a hard time succeeding for the last 10 years, but the Tigers of old seem to be coming back. The team recently secured their first winning season since 2016 and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2014.
Detroit sports have had a hard 21st century, with only three championships across the four major sports. Things seem to be looking up, though, with the Tigers, Red Wings and Lions all competing for playoff spots or championships in their most recent campaigns.
Since getting swept in the 2012 World Series, the Tigers have only made the playoffs twice and haven’t been very competitive at all. Even at points this season, the Tigers have been lackluster. A ClickonDetroit headline from May even said: “The Tigers Don’t Deserve Any More Patience. This is Unacceptable.”
So, What’s Different This Time?
In short: the players. The Tigers have the youngest roster in Major League Baseball, and as these athletes play, they learn. Recently called-up rookie pitcher Jackson Jobe and rookie second baseman Colt Keith have really stepped it up this year, and Detroit is happy about it.
Another reason the Tigers have been doing so well is their manager, AJ Hinch.
Hinch managed the Houston Astros during their 2017 World Series win, and whether or not the Astros cheated, Hinch is still generally seen as a great manager. His roster planning, pitching management and general morale-boosting attitude have been huge for Detroit, and I can’t wait to see what he does with the team in the future.
Speaking of Detroit, it seems that its sports teams are finally returning to form as one of the great cities for professional sports in the U.S.
The Lions are off to a solid start, the Red Wings barely missed the playoffs last year, the Pistons are continuing to build up a roster to compete in the NBA and the Detroit City Football Club continues to be a consistent contender in the United Soccer League. This is great news for us Detroit fans, especially after suffering through so many losing seasons and such mediocrity.
On Friday, the Tigers earned a Wild Card spot in the American League playoffs. They will face the Houston Astros in a three-game series in Houston to move on to the American League Divisional Series (ALDS). Tigers manager AJ Hinch came from the Astros, so it would be a total full circle moment for him if Detroit beats them in the playoffs.
If the Tigers move on to the ALDS, they will take on the New York Yankees, who are the one seed in the American League. With the Tigers playing like they have been, I see no reason why they can’t make a run in the playoffs, at least to the ALDS.
A Detroit Wild Card series win might just send the city into the Detroit River. I can already see hungry fans chomping at the bit to see their team do well in postseason play.
The Young Guys are Getting it Done
While this is all just a prediction, the way the Tigers have been playing has been truly impressive. They have won 24 of their last 32 games since Aug. 23, and don’t show signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Starting pitcher and American League Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal has been pitching lights out this season. The Cy Young Award goes to the top pitcher per division, and Skubal has been a headliner to win it pretty much all season.
Since the All-Star break, the Tigers have a record of 39-24. This is pretty wild, as they were 47-50 heading into the break. This means the Tigers took advantage of the break and locked in for the rest of the season. At the end of July, the Tigers dealt righty pitcher Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers for shortstop Trey Sweeney.
This deal was huge for the Tigers, as Sweeney has been a great addition to the team and was definitely a huge help in their playoff push.
Unfortunately, I was not able to go to a Tigers game before their Wild Card achievement, but my brother and I got tickets for their last game of the season against the Chicago White Sox, a historically bad team.
The Game: Tigers v. White Sox
I’ve been to at least one Tigers game every year for a very long time. Thankfully, I was able to keep my streak, and my brother and I were able to get tickets for Sunday’s game against the White Sox for a pretty good price.
With the Tigers having already clinched a spot in the postseason, it wasn’t a sellout crowd, but there were enough people there to make the atmosphere exciting.
The Tigers lost 9-5, but Kerry Carpenter hit an electric grand slam that was incredible to see live.
Overall, the game was super fun, and a great end of season experience. I really wish I had gotten out to Comerica this summer when the weather was a bit better, but I’m happy at any professional sports game I can go to.
The Gist
Realistically, I can see the Tigers at least winning the Wild Card round if they stay as hot as they are right now, but I wouldn’t bet on a Detroit World Series appearance just yet.
There are some really good teams this year, and the Tigers would have to make it out of a tough American League. At the same time, though, the Tigers are 31-12 since Aug. 11, making them one of the hottest teams in baseball, so anything could happen.
With the Tigers’ current success this season, the future looks bright. As I said earlier, the Tigers have the youngest roster in the MLB, so if these guys stay in Detroit, we could see some long-term success from them.
Great article. Hope the Tiger’s can win a few more.
So excited for what the Tigers have been able to do, and even more excited to see what they can do against the Astros.
Especially proud of Colt—his dad went to high school with my mom, and seeing a guy from small town Ohio succeed is amazing!