Detroit Tigers Reliever Has Been Unsung Hero for the Bullpen
On Friday night, the Detroit Tigers were able to clinch a Wild Card berth with a win over the Chicago White Sox, as the franchise snapped their playoff drought.
It has been an incredible couple of months of baseball for the Tigers, as they have been one of the best teams in baseball since the trade deadline. Detroit has shocked the world, as despite being sellers at the deadline and moving great players like pitcher Jack Flaherty, the Tigers have gone on a magical run.
Since they have played excellent baseball, there are a lot of players who have stepped up for the franchise. Most notably, of course, is starting pitcher Tarik Skubal. The ace of the staff is likely to be the American League Cy Young after his great 2024 campaign.
In their lineup, outfielder Riley Greene has had a career year and has become the best hitter in the batting order.
While the pitching staff has received a lot of credit for the great stretch run, the bullpen has also been excellent for the Tigers. One of the unsung heroes of the Detroit out of the pen has been Sean Guenther.
The Tigers claimed the southpaw back in 2022 from the Miami Marlins, and down the stretch, Guenther has been excellent. Recently, the left-hander spoke about getting the opportunity with Detroit and how fun this stretch run has been.
"I can't remember a time I had this much fun playing this game," Guenther said to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. "It's fun in the clubhouse, it's fun on the field, it's fun traveling. We're playing well, we're doing well, and we're having a good time doing it. You can't really ask for much more at your job. It's awesome."
In 16 games this season, Guenther has totaled a 3-0 record, .90 ERA, and two holds. The lefty has been utilized nicely by manager A.J. Hinch to get out key left-handed bats in opposing lineups, which will be a useful weapon in the playoffs.
What is encouraging to see from Guenther down the stretch is that he is also pitching well against right-handed hitters. The southpaw is holding both righties and lefties under .150 at the plate, as Hinch and the Tigers will be leaning on him come playoff time.
Despite an interesting start to his career, Guenther is pitching very well for the Tigers down the stretch and is having fun doing so.
