Well-Rounded Tigers Are ‘Baseball’s Most Pleasant Surprise’

There may not have been a team in the MLB that had as much positive momentum coming into the 2025 season as the Detroit Tigers.

Their unprecedented run in the second half of the 2024 campaign, which included them being sellers ahead of the trade deadline and overcoming a double-digit deficit in the standings, was incredibly impressive.

They snapped a nine-year playoff drought, earning the No. 2 wild card spot.

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In the ALWC, they defeated the Houston Astros before losing to the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS.

Despite that success, most projections and analysts were unsure the Tigers could replicate that performance over the course of an entire season.

Coming into 2025, expectations weren’t very high.

Detroit wasn’t considered the favorite in the American League Central, given only a 27% chance, per FanGraphs. That was lower than the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners and just ahead of the Kansas City Royals.

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Those projections could not have been more wrong, with the Tigers not only leading the AL Central but doing so in historic fashion.

Coming into July, they led the division was 11.5 games, which was the biggest lead in the MLB. On top of that, it was also the largest in franchise history at that point in the season.

What has led to so much success on the field?

As one AL executive shared, they have the right pieces clicking on all cylinders, looking like true contenders.

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“Best pitcher in baseball (in Tarik Skubal),” the exec said, via Jayson Stark of The Athletic (subscription required). “Impact manager (in A.J. Hinch). Lots of guys exceeding expectations, like Gleyber (Torres) and (Casey) Mize.”

This is a well-rounded roster that is receiving production in every facet of the game.

As Stark shared, they can beat you in a number of ways, ranking near the top of the MLB in multiple categories.

“They’re in a tight race with the Yankees for the most runs scored in their league. They’re the best base-running team in their league. They’re tied for second in the sport in starting pitching ERA. And they’re a top-10 defensive team in the sport,” he wrote.

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There are no truly glaring holes on this roster.

Third base could use an upgrade, but the team’s lineup hasn’t missed a beat with the offensive production.

The bullpen is lacking pitchers with swing-and-miss stuff, not generating a ton of strikeouts. Adding someone of that caliber to the mix would be a good move, but overall, the relief staff has found plenty of success.

“If you are good enough to get to the playoffs and skip the wild-card round,” the same exec said, “you are good enough to win anything,” when asked if Detroit is good enough to win a championship.

Even if they don’t make an addition ahead of the MLB trade deadline, this team has the ingredients to win a title.

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