Detroit Tigers Legend Sees Bright Future for Team Moving Forward

Detroit Tigers legendary manager Jim Leyland opened up with optimism about the team's future.

Aug 3, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Hall of Famer Jim Leyland during a ceremony retiring his number 10 before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park. / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Leyland is one of the most legendary names connected to the Detroit Tigers franchise. He will always be remembered by Tigers fans for his amazing mangerial skills.

Just a few days ago, Detroit held a ceremony to retire his No. 10 jersey. Leyland has opened up a bit about the organization during his time back in town.

While the recent years have not been kind to the Tigers, Leyland is excited about their future. He talked about the future and provided major reasons for optimism for fans.

“I don’t talk about this much because I don’t want to preach patience anymore to the fans. I’m sick of hearing the word patience in a lot of different areas, and I understand the fans are, too. But one thing I will tell you: If you trust my judgment as a baseball man, and I hope you do, there are a lot of good ingredients for a great cake here. I truly believe that."

Leyland also believes that the team will show flashes of that potential throughout the remainder of the 2024 season.

“Probably not going to get in [the postseason], but I think this team, they’re going to get healthy and I believe they’re going to have a great September. Probably going to be a little late, but I believe that.”

Those are comforting words to hear for Detroit fans. It has been awhile since there was a lot to be excited about. However, the team has some great talent coming up in the minor leagues and some good building blocks already in the majors.

Wenceel Perez, a 24-year-old rookie outfielder, also believes that the Tigers are going to be very good in the near future.

“We’re going to be a problem. We’re going to be a real problem. The group that we have here, we have really good guys. When everybody gets healthy, we’re going to battle.”

Obviously, Detroit is not going to be a playoff team this season barring a miracle. They're not quite good enough.

That being said, they are not too terribly far off.

The players are starting to get the kind of swagger that is needed to win at a high level and fans should be excited to watch the current group continue to develop and get better over the next year or two.