How Does This Tigers Pitching Staff Stack Up Compared to Others?

It was going to be a tall task for the Detroit Tigers to replicate the success they had late last year, sneaking into the playoffs via an American League Wild Card berth.

Through the first quarter of the season, it does not look like there will be much sneaking for them since they are entering play on Saturday with the best record in MLB.

The Tigers have been a much more complete team this year than they were in 2024. The offense has posted a .763 OPS behind solid performances from unlikely sources, and the pitching staff has been a revelation.

Down the stretch last season, the team had to resort to "pitching chaos" to win games. While it worked, it was not a sustainable method of success.

This year, the pitching staff has been so good, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently ranked it eighth in MLB.

Detroit Tigers Pitching Staff Ranks Eighth in MLB

"Tarik Skubal is off to a great start in his quest for back-to-back AL Cy Youngs," writes Miller, "while Casey Mize is 6-1 with a 2.53 ERA. The latter recently landed on the IL with a hamstring strain, which is concerning given his lengthy injury history. They're hopeful it will be a short stay on the shelf, though. Moreover, only the Giants (2.48) have had a lower "as reliever" ERA this season than the Tigers (2.72), even though it has been anyone's guess who will be called upon in save situations."

A shaky first two outings from Tarik Skubal had many holding their breath, but the reigning American League Cy Young winner has returned to form in a major way.

The lefty pitched to a 5.91 ERA across 10 2/3 innings in his first two starts, allowing seven runs while striking out just 10 batters. Since then, he has pitched to a 1.87 ERA across 43 1/3 innings in seven starts with 61 strikeouts. That stretch also includes a rough outing on May 14 against the Boston Red Sox that saw the ace allow five runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Skubal has helped lead the pitching staff to a team ERA of 3.24 entering Saturday, the fourth-best in MLB. The rotation holds a 3.49 mark in the metric, ranking sixth, while the bullpen has pitched to a 2.91, good enough for third.

With the dominance of the pitching staff and the offense coming together in a major way, Detroit is well on its way to another postseason appearance.

This one, however, may not be as surprising as the last.

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