Detroit Tigers Continue Their Rise in MLB Power Rankings

The Detroit Tigers continue to climb in MLB Power Rankings after another winning week.

Sep 22, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter (30) celebrates while running out a sixth inning solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

As the final week of the MLB season begins, one of the hottest teams in baseball is the Detroit Tigers. 

Despite looking like they were going to be once again .500 and miss the playoffs, the Tigers have emerged since August as one of the best teams in the league. Thanks to a strong pitching staff and a young lineup that has improved in the second half of the season, Detroit is playing some great baseball. 

This week was another good one for the Tigers, as they went a fantastic 5-1 in games against the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles. The sweep of the Royals to start the week was massive, as they were one of the teams closest to Detroit in the American League Wild Card race. 

Furthermore, following it up with another series victory against the Orioles put the top spot in the Wild Card race within striking distance. 

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently released his MLB Power Rankings with only a week to go and had the Tigers move up to the 13th spot, which was a one spot increase. 

“The Tigers are likewise determined not to be denied in the AL wild-card race, as they're now 27-11 since August 11 and 11-3 in their last 14 games. With an .898 OPS in September, Riley Greene should have down-ballot AL MVP votes coming his way.”

Detroit continues to play excellent baseball down the stretch, and they now control their own destiny to make the postseason. This coming week, the Tigers will be back at home for the remaining six games, as they will start off with a series against the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Luckily, Detroit will be sending Tarik Skubal to the mound in the series opener, and Keider Montero will also be pitching in the series. 

The big advantage that the Tigers will have over the rest of the teams fighting for a playoff spot is that they will be ending the season playing the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox are going to be going down as one of the worst teams of all-time, and for a Detroit team that might need some wins in the final three games, the schedule couldn’t have worked out any better. 

As one of the hottest teams in baseball with a favorable schedule this coming week, there is a lot to like about the Tigers heading into potentially some playoff games in October.