Tigers Tagged with Bold Season Prediction from Former MLB Executive
The Detroit Tigers had a eventful second half of the 2024 season, overcoming some long odds to make the playoffs.
Despite being sellers at the deadline and facing a double-digit deficit in the standings, they earned the No. 2 wild card spot in the American League. They made the most of that opportunity, defeating the Houston Astros in the ALWC before losing to the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS.
With so much positive momentum built, people were excited about what could come in the offseason.
The Tigers had a lot of success over the second half of the year but there were some glaring weaknesses on the roster.
A lack of starting pitching depth led to manager A.J. Hinch deploying “pitching chaos” to eat innings. American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal was the only starter the team relied on consistently.
That shouldn’t be a problem in 2025 with Jack Flaherty being brought back in free agency along with veteran Alex Cobb signing as a free agent. Reese Olson, Casey Mize, Kenta Maeda, Keider Montero and Jackson Jobe are all going to factor into the mix as well.
Where Detroit failed to make as much of an upgrade as they needed was in the lineup, where Gleyber Torres was the only outside addition made to the roster.
His presence at second base will move Colt Keith to first base following his strong rookie campaign in 2024, which moves Spencer Torkelson out of the starting lineup.
Help wasn’t needed at the Keystone, as the Tigers have legitimate concerns on the left side of their infield. Right now, it looks like Javier Baez and Trey Sweeney will be starting at third base and shortstop, a disastrous situation for a team with playoff aspirations.
Despite not upgrading the offense much, there are still some people who believe that the team’s arrow is pointing up.
One of those people is Jim Bowden of The Athletic (paid subscription required).
In his recent MLB report card, he shared season predictions for team each. The former MLB executive believes that Detroit is going to move up the standings, finishing in second place in the AL Central.
They are going to be the runner-ups behind the Kansas City Royals in Bowden’s opinion, with last year’s divisional champs, the Guardians, ticketed for a third-place finish.
This will be a divisional race to keep an eye on all year as it should be a hotly contested race right from the start.
What will determine just how high the Tigers go is development from internal options. Young players such as Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter and Keith have levels they can unlock and the team still has high hopes for third baseman Jace Jung despite his shocking demotion.
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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.