Valuable Pitching Stats Reveal How Dominant Tigers Have Become

There was initial skepticism that the fiery start by the Detroit Tigers would be fleeting.

The Tigers have been consistent in all their strengths through one-third of their 2025 MLB season, so that's all but gone.

It started with the wild turnaround in the second half of last season, and they’ve since carried the best record in the league through their last 100 games. 

That builds up a body of work over the course of two seasons, providing enough reliability in key statistics that tell the story of Detroit’s dominance. 

The Tigers lead the MLB with a 37-20 record; that lead grows to 67-33 in the 100-game stretch. 

That doesn’t happen without a well-rounded identity. Much of that is credited to the soaring offense, but the star power of ace pitcher Tarik Skubal and his surrounding cast have led the charge since that midseason spark in 2024. 

Key stats researched by David Schoenfield of ESPN.com validate these strengths. 

Ace Tarik Skubal

The 2024 AL Cy Young winner was largely the reason for the turnaround and consequent success last season and has only continued to build on that. He has a 2.22 ERA with 149 strikeouts to 14 walks.

He ranks second in the MLB this season with 92 strikeouts and seven walks, and his 13.14 strikeout-to-walk ratio would represent the best performance by a qualified pitcher in league history.

Starters Casey Mize and Jackson Jobe

Both pitchers have sustained success throughout the season, but there’s a slight discrepancy between their ERA and FIP.

Mize has a 2.45 ERA but has a 3.90 FIP, as he has a below-average 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings but has allowed a .215 average and .255 OBP.

The belief in Mize comes from his expected stats projecting a .208 average and .369 slugging percentage, which almost exactly match his production and show that he’s stifled hard contact and has an above-average ground ball rate. He also only has 10 walks through nine starts.

Jobe has a 4.03 ERA but has a 5.02 FIP due to a poor 35 strikes to 24 walks.

The belief in Jobe comes from his upside, as he’s improved over the last three starts and has worked on an effective changeup. His problems derive from his four-seam fastball that doesn’t miss much despite averaging 96.6 mph. In the end, Jobe has only made nine starts, marking the beginning of a promising career for the top prospect.

The pair have a combined ERA of 3.23 this season.

Detroit’s Bullpen

As Schoenfield breaks down the split, Detroit’s relievers had a 4.16 ERA from the start of the 2024 season until the Aug. 10 turnaround. That ranked No. 20 in the league.

From Aug. 11 until the end of the year, their 2.35 ERA was No. 2 in the MLB. They’re No. 7 this season with a 3.31 ERA. For the sample, the bullpen leads baseball with a 2.78 ERA.

While that’s a slight drop in their dominance, they’ve been serviceable enough between an amalgamation of closers Tommy Kahnle and Will Vest.

Part of that drop-off can be attributed to losing Tommy Foley to a season-ending shoulder surgery earlier this month after he was sent down to Triple-A.

However, it might be the one area to keep an eye on, as Kahnle hasn’t pitched 50 innings since 2019.

The pitching staff has become a well-rounded threat. The offense around them makes the Tigers true contenders. 

Their .726 OPS is No. 8 in the league, and they’re averaging 5.07 runs per game. The last time Detroit averaged over five per game for a full season was in 2008.

They’ve also improved their OBP from .300 to .325 this season.

Individual performances, such as Javier Baez, who is slashing .278/.313/.456 and garnering a presence at the plate for the first time since 2021, have bolstered the winning lineup.

Should the Tigers continue to reign as leaders in these key metrics, there’s all the reason to believe they’re on a strong path to the World Series.