The Detroit Tigers Are a Bandwagon To Jump On for the 2024 MLB Playoffs
The Detroit Tigers' improbable run to the 2024 MLB postseason is down to a magic number of one. Another victory or loss by the Minnesota Twins and they will have capped off one of the most impressive in-season turnarounds in MLB history.
Before this year’s Tigers squad, only four other teams had faced a double-digit deficit in the standings at least 115 games into the season and still advanced to the postseason. They are well on their way to becoming the fifth.
Despite their lack of household names on the roster, this is an easy team to get behind and root for.
A lot of young players emerging make for exciting baseball on the field. If your team isn’t in the playoffs, this is one of the better ones to get behind in October.
As shared by Will Leitch of MLB.com, this run by Detroit is reminiscent of another recent underdog performance.
“This is not a perfect analogy -- the Tigers are a lot younger and, presumably, have a much brighter future, but the run that Detroit has been on can’t help but remind you of the 2007 Rockies. In the middle of September, Colorado was slightly over .500 but seemingly out of the playoff hunt … and then they just went nuts, winning 11 in a row and 14 out of 15. But it didn’t stop there. They would then sweep the NLDS and the NLCS on the way to their first (and still only) World Series appearance, before getting swept themselves by the Red Sox,” wrote Leitch.
Both teams got extremely hot leading into October but in different fashion. The Tigers are doing it on the back of elite pitching while the Colorado Rockies mashed their way to the World Series as not a single starting pitcher recorded an ERA under 4.12 in the regular season.
Led by their ace and presumed Cy Young Award Tarik Skubal, the Detroit pitching staff is strength yet their biggest question mark. Beyond their star, question marks linger in the starting rotation. But, the bullpen is full of talented arms to help eat up innings.
“They were like a cartoon character, running so fast they didn’t even realize there was no longer any ground under their feet until they looked down. The Tigers have been nearly as hot as that Rockies team, and they might just, after selling at the Trade Deadline, end up in the postseason. For a franchise that hasn’t even had a winning season since 2016, this is downright glorious. You never know: Maybe they just won’t look down at all,” added Leitch.
What will determine the Tigers’ success is whether their timely hitting can continue. Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling are a talented emerging core for the team to build around.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.