Aug 31, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Tigers' Starting Rotation May Surprise Heading into October

Originally posted on Detroit Tigers on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Detroit Tigers' weekend series with the Chicago White Sox was disappointing after losing two out of three games.

Even though the Tigers are 20 games over the .500 mark and in firm control of the American League Central, it has been a somewhat poor stretch of late. This team has not performed as well as they did in the first half of the year, and while they will be the division winner, it’s fair to be concerned.

In the second half, the team has seen some struggles in their lineup, starting rotation, and bullpen. With not much going right of late, the team needs to flip the switch quickly with October right around the corner.

The struggles of the rotation have been a particular concern when it comes to the playoffs, but the situation might be better than anticipated.

Is the Rotation a Concern?

David Schoenfield of ESPN recently wrote about the Tigers’ lack of a number two pitcher behind Tarik Skubal not being as big an issue as many have thought.

“You can sort of fake your way through the playoffs with your rotation like the Dodgers did last year or the Braves did in 2021. If Skubal dominates and the bullpen can withstand a lot of innings, the Tigers can still pull off their first title since 1984.”

Can the Tigers Win With That Formula?

While recent winners do indicate that a team can accomplish a lot in October without a great starting rotation, it does feel like a bit of a stretch for Detroit. The Tigers pretty much know exactly what they are going to get whenever Skubal takes the mound, but there is a lot of uncertainty after him.

So far this season, the star southpaw has been fantastic once again and is trending toward winning his second straight AL Cy Young. However, despite his dominance, the rest of the rotation has been questionable at best.

As the team heads into October, it will likely be very similar to last year, with a lack of support behind Skubal. Jack Flaherty was brought back to be the number two pitcher for the team in the postseason, but he has struggled this campaign. However, he is still the most likely to take the ball in game two.

What the team will really rely on is their bullpen. This was a unit that carried them in 2024 but hasn’t been nearly as effective in 2025. The recent injury to Kyle Finnegan doesn’t help, as the right-hander was pitching very well.

Overall, recent years have shown that the bullpen is key in the playoffs, with teams using relief pitchers about 50 percent of the time. With this being the case, even though the rotation has been shaky, it might not hold the team back nearly as much as anticipated.