David Richard-Imagn Images

Can the Tigers Be This Year's OKC Thunder?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Thomas Byrne | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 5:27 PM ET

The Tigers are playing dominant baseball this season. They have had their division wrapped up for two weeks, and it is only July 1st. Their Cy Young-winning ace looks to be headed towards another and their roster is filled with young talent, even their old guys aren’t even really old.

All of this together has to make you think, can the Tigers replicate what the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off in the NBA?

They have so many of the same ingredients. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made averaging more than 30 points per game look simple and was the guy everybody on the other team had to pay attention to. When Tarik Skubal comes to the mound, hitters he faces do not spend extra time thinking about defensive alignments or getting some extra stretching in before they step in the box.

Both are considered the best in their respective sports.

Youth and inexperience were the key reasons people doubted the Thunder, and these Tigers are no different. OKC was the youngest team in the entire NBA, comparable in age to teams like the Blazers and Spurs, which were bottom feeders of the league.

The Tigers entered the season as the 8th-youngest team, almost the same age as the Colorado Rockies, possibly the worst team in baseball history.

Young players should eventually start losing some games, then, right?

The energy and attitude the Thunder brought into every game were a product of their youth, but it was exactly what catapulted them. Their ability to play suffocating defense, and even their desire to compete at both ends and fight for every loose ball, is all supercharged by the energy they possess. It feels like them going all out and allowing no time to let the moment settle in helps them forget that they are supposed to be nervous.

The Tigers also appear to have fun and energy to spare; legging out an extra base or being able to track down a ball in the gap half a second quicker can make all the difference in October.

The OKC Thunder model and attitude might be an inspiration to follow, and one the Tigers are already replicating.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: