DETROIT — Snow fell at Comerica Park for several minutes Friday afternoon. The sellout crowd of 44,711 was a reminder that the Tigers' sunny forecast is tentative.
But if you're looking for a sign that Detroit is ready for its first postseason in a decade, the signs are there.
The Tigers are 6-1. They have recorded four one-run wins and two wins in extra innings. Their only loss was a no-hitter until the 8th inning against the Mets.
“We're only seven games in, but I really like where this team is going,” Spencer Torkelson said after Detroit's 5-4 home opener win over the Athletics. “I love this fan base. They're itching for a winner. They have that with the Lions. The Red Wings are close. I truly believe we're really close as well. Please wait with me. It's a long season, but I like where we are now.”
While the Tigers' batting lineup cannot compare to the superstar-laden Dodgers, Braves, and Astros, recent history gives hope that Detroit will hit well enough to reach the expanded postseason field. I'll give it to you. The D-backs made it to the World Series last year despite ranking 17th in the majors in team OPS.
The Tigers have benefited from playing against the White Sox, Mets and Athletics earlier this year, but their success scenario should apply to tougher competition as well. Ace Tariq Skubal got off to a dominant start Friday — at least until he tired and fumbled in his third outing against Oakland.
The bullpen proved reliable, with four relief pitchers combining for 2 2/3 scoreless innings. And as the chilly afternoon progressed, the lineup warmed up, with newly acquired veterans Mark Caña (solo home run in the sixth inning) and Gio Urshela (tying double in the eighth inning) producing important runs.
“Today was a perfect example of Mark hitting a home run when he slowed down a little bit and Gio hitting a big hit in a pressure situation,” said Matt Viering, who led off with a solo home run in the fourth inning. . “Those two guys bring stability to the lineup. … You know they've been in that situation before. That definitely helps the young guys a lot.
“I feel like we've been having good at-bats. We're playing great team baseball with great defense, great pitching, and timely hitting late in the game. That's what we did to gain an advantage in this close game. Every win like this builds confidence in the team. Even today, when the game was a draw, I had full faith in the players of the world.”
The Tigers tied the Angels for the longest active postseason roster. Their last appearance was in 2014, when their starting rotation included eventual Cy Young Award winners Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello, David Price, and Robbie Ray. It included people. The current pitching staff isn't all that qualified, but they do boast a 2.31 ERA. Only the Red Sox are better so far.
Detroit's depth of pitching, after the offseason additions of Jack Flaherty and Kenta Maeda, combined with Reece Olson's strong spring, kept Matt Manning off the starting roster. When Manning was called up as the 27th player for Thursday's doubleheader in New York, all he did was throw a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings.
Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Friday that Manning deserves to be in the major leagues. He's right. He could have said the same for Brandon Fuhrt a year ago. Due to the depth of the D-backs' starting depth at the time, the top pitching prospect started 12 games in Triple-A Reno during his age-24 season. In the end, Puffert stole the ball in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, and Arizona clinched the pennant in Philadelphia. Manning should aim for similar results with the Tigers in 2024. Jackson Jobe, an exciting pitching prospect out of Double-A Erie, could also join the Tigers' rotation by the end of the season.
As such, Detroit will be in contention in 2024 for the obvious reasons, but also for reasons not yet apparent at Comerica Park. The offense's flaws will likely be fixed through trade deadline moves and substantive improvements throughout the season. In fact, the latter is already happening. In the batting lineup's first outing on Friday, the Tigers were held hitless by Oakland starting pitcher JP Sears. The second started like this: a home run by Bierling, a single by Andy Ibáñez, a double by Torkelson, and a single by Riley Greene.
Detroit's young hitters are more adjusted during games than they were a year ago, with help from hitting coaches Michael Bruder, Keith Beauregard and Lance Zawadzki.
“I love having three of them,” Torkelson said. “One day I go to Michael because I speak this language. The next day I go to Keith and I'm like, 'Let's do something a little more mechanical.' The next day I need someone to put air in my tires, so let's go to Reims. Find a different guy every day and use all their information in the right way. ”
Kanya and Urshela will also help. Canya has appeared in the postseason five times. There are four in Urshera.
“I think we have a talented group, young, talented players,” Canha said. “I've said this many times, but they've done a great job of developing them, just with attitude. They're already very talented guys. They're all solid He has a good head on his shoulders, has a great feel for the game, and seems to play good baseball. If you have that, it's a good combination. …
“Throughout the games, it looks like we're getting better as we go along. I think it's going to get easier as the season progresses and we get into a rhythm. If we continue to have good at-bats, we'll just snowball. That's what we're going to do.” It's an idea. That's what you want. You want it to snowball. You always have to develop young players.”
Caña's first playoff appearance was in 2018, when 24-year-old Matt Olson and 25-year-old Matt Chapman were among the most valuable players. Caña said the current Tigers are similar to the Athletics team that made the playoffs three years in a row from 2018-2020. He credits the lesser-known players for their close games, consistent pitching and composure.
“It reminds me a little bit of a young, talented group that competes every night,” Canha said. “It’s fun to be a part of.”
