Tigers Starter Jack Flaherty Will Be Key for Franchise in Second Half

The Detroit Tigers have entered the All-Star break with the best record in the American League and are looking to continue that in the second half.

It has been a fantastic first half of the season for the Tigers, who have exceeded expectations and are the team to beat in the AL. Detroit has been able to run away with their division, and making the playoffs seems like a certainty at this point.

With the team knowing that they will be playing in October, they will likely be using the next couple of weeks to try and improve their team for the playoff push.

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Despite the success, they do have a couple of areas of need that they could seek some improvements in. Fortunately, none of the needs are extremely pressing, but more so to put the final touches on what hopes to be a title contender.

Even though the team has had a ton of success, they could use some players who have underperformed to step up as well.

Jason Beck of MLB.com recently wrote about starting pitcher Jack Flaherty being the key player for the franchise in the second half of the season.

“But the Tigers need to get him out of an inconsistent stretch and back in front-line form to best set up their four-man postseason rotation.”

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This winter, the reunion with Flaherty appeared to be a great move by Detroit on paper. The right-hander was fantastic for them in the first half of the last campaign prior to them dealing him to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Flaherty went on to help the Dodgers win the World Series, and it is easy to wonder if the Tigers could have made it further if they hadn’t traded him. While hindsight is always 20/20, they brought him back during the offseason to help provide them with a number two pitcher behind Tarik Skubal.

So far, the right-hander hasn’t been able to live up to those expectations in his second stint with the team.

This year, Flaherty has totaled a 5-9 record and a 4.65, which is well below expectations.

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There is still some time to turn things around for Flaherty, and the Tigers know that he can be the type of pitcher that they are seeking.

If Detroit is going to be a World Series contender, it will need other pitchers like Flaherty to step up and be capable of pitching important games in the postseason. With the potential to be that, Flaherty is key for Detroit after the All-Star break.

For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.