Tigers’ biggest flop to begin 2026 MLB season

The one thing the Tigers can count on is the excellence of Skubal. Skubal has been the model of consistency on the mound the last two season. He was 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts when he won his first Cy Young Award in 2024 and he followed up with another brilliant season. He was 13-6 along with a 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts last season.

The problem with Skubal is that he is in line for a major contract that will tie him to his next team for multiple seasons. The Tigers and Skubal have not made any progress to this point. The Tigers will keep him around if they believe there is a realistic chance to win the World Series this season. If not, they have to trade him to a legitimate contender and get prospects and talent in return.

The rest of the pitching staff has not done anything to distinguish itself. Framber Valdez was their big offseason acquisition and the former Houston Astro has a 4.76 ERA in his first three starts. Valdez has fanned just 12 batters in 17 innings and he is eminently hittable.

Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize are supposed to be dependable starters and both are ordinary to this point. Flaherty has a 5.14 ERA in his first three starts while Mize has a 5.23 ERA and has given up 2 home runs and 5 bases on balls in just 10.1 innings.

Closer Kenley Jansen has a 5.40 ERA and he may be past his expiration date. The pitching staff has been quite unimpressive other than Skubal.

Tigers offense loaded with question marks

Most teams with legitimate hopes of advancing far in the postseason have one or two big names who can dominate at the plate.

The Tigers have little to offer at this point. Kerry Carpenter, Riley Green and Spencer Torkelson are supposed to be the team’s most dependable hitters and they have contributed little in the team’s first 13 games.

The offense has come from catcher Dillon Dingler, shortstop Javy Baez and DH Colt Keith to this point. Dingler is slashing .265/.390/.471 with 2 home runs and 8 runs batted in.

Baez is making contact at a much higher pace than usual as he is slashing .323/.353/.419 but he has not hit the ball out of the park yet and he has just one base on balls. The 24-year-old Keith is making contact with his .350 average, but he has not hit a home run and has just 3 RBI.

Key players have not started producing

Carpenter has to be one of the most productive bats in the lineup and he is supposed to be a modern-day Kirk Gibson with his ability to get clutch hits. Instead, he is slashing .184/.289/.342 with a pair of home runs and 7 RBI. Greene has yet to make a positive impact either as he is hitting just .200 and has yet to hit his first long ball of the season.

Greene and Parker Meadows collided in left-centerfield in Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Twins. The catch was made by Greene on Josh Bell’s fly ball, but Meadows was left bleeding from his face and was taken to a Minneapolis hospital. He also may have suffered an arm injury on the play.

Torkelson needs to produce from his position at 1st base, but he has done very little to this point. He is hitting .184 with no home runs and just 3 RBI. He has struck out 13 times in 48 plate appearances, and that is a huge problem.

The lack of production from the lineup, but the big reason for the Tigers’ flop is that their pitching staff has not been good outside of Skubal.