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Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tigers Have Major Problem Brewing With Pitching Staff Down the Stretch

Originally posted on Detroit Tigers on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 7:00 PM ET

One of the focuses of the Detroit Tigers last offseason was upgrading their pitching staff, specifically the starting rotation behind their ace, Tarik Skubal.

The unanimous American League Cy Young Award winner was the only starting pitcher who manager A.J. Hinch trusted down the stretch and in the playoffs. He created a "pitching chaos" strategy that helped the team win in 2024, but that's not a sustainable strategy. As a result, adding pitching was the No. 1 task on the front office's to-do list.

In free agency, the team signed veterans Alex Cobb and Jack Flaherty. That duo rounded things out behind Skubal along with Reese Olson and star prospect Jackson Jobe. Alas, some things didn’t go according to plan; some positive in nature and others negative.

On the positive side, Casey Mize emerging as a reliable option was nice to see. But injuries have decimated the group. Cobb has yet to appear in a game this year, while Olson and Jobe both suffered season-ending injuries. Olson has at least begun throwing again, but Jobe will be sidelined for a chunk of 2026 as he had to undergo Tommy John surgery.

With injuries mounting, the team made two additions ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Chris Paddack was acquired from the Minnesota Twins. Charlie Morton was also added from the Baltimore Orioles. Unfortunately, they have not made the kind of impact the team had hoped for.

Tigers Starting Rotation Turning Into Major Issue

Paddack has already been demoted to the bullpen because of performance. Morton wasn’t able to keep up the hot streak he had to end his tenure with the Orioles. That is leading to some major question marks about how the team’s starting rotation will look down the stretch.

As shared by DataBase Hit, the Tigers have a major issue with starting pitching. Skubal has remained dominant with a 2.08 ERA in the second half. But none of the other members of their rotation are performing at even a passable level. Flaherty has the best ERA of the bunch at 5.28 in the second half. Mize is at 5.59, Paddack's is 6.89 and Morton's is 5.81.

Tigers Second Half Rotation ERA

Skubal: 2.08

Flaherty: 5.28
Mize: 5.59
Paddack: 6.89
Morton: 5.81
— DataBase Hit (@DatabaseHit) September 6, 2025

The inability of the starting rotation to perform has led to some inconsistencies with the team’s overall performance recently. Holding the largest division lead in baseball by being ahead of the Kansas City Royals by 8.5 games, the team isn’t being pushed for a playoff spot. But their stay in the postseason isn’t going to last very long if they can only rely on Skubal again in the rotation.

Other players are going to either have to step up or the current veteran group of starters needs to get things figured out. The strategy used by the front office ahead of the MLB trade deadline, going with quantity over quality, may come back to haunt the franchise.

Making matters worse for the Tigers is the loss of relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan. He has been lights out since being acquired from the Washington Nationals ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Arguably the most impactful deadline addition in the league, his loss is a massive one for a bullpen that had finally settled into roles and gotten on track in August.