The Tigers are at a crossroad.
They can either continue in the wrong direction or recapture the respect they gained before being derailed by a five-game losing streak, including being swept in three straight by Cleveland over the weekend.
As can be expected in a 60-game, pandemic-shortened season, the narrative has quickly shifted. The Tigers' 9-5 record is now 10-11.
What had been unexpected promise has become sudden collapse. It's no longer about the Tigers' strong bullpen, but their poor starting pitching. Injuries are occurring. The Tigers aren't slugging the ball at nearly the same rate. There has been consistent and justifiable questioning why top pitching prospect Casey Mize has yet to make his MLB debut.
The Orioles and post-quarantine Marlins have replaced the Tigers as MLB's most likely Cinderella stories.
The Tigers have lost 20 straight games to Cleveland, three shy of the MLB record, which they could tie this coming weekend.
If there was ever a time for Matthew Boyd, Monday's starter at Chicago, to display he is a genuine top-of-the-rotation piece, it's now. Boyd emerged the first half of last season, but has gradually blown up to a 10.24 ERA crescendo. He is a lefty up against the White Sox powerful right-handed packed lineup (Jose Abreu, Edwin Encarncion, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Tim Anderson) in a home run hitter's paradise of a ball park.
But the top-end pitchers figure it out. We're about to find out if that label belongs to Boyd.
Mize is definitely one of the top starting pitchers in the organization - regardless of level - and he's 23. Five of the first 40 picks in the 2018 draft have made their MLB debuts. Mize, the first overall selection that year, is right-handed, so he should matchup well vs. the White Sox. Give him a chance.
The Tigers, even in the midst of a rebuild, have routinely paid veteran free agents. It makes the idea of being concerned about Mize going to arbitration a year early as a so-called "super two" silly.
The Tigers shouldn't hesitate to give Tarik Skubal or Matt Manning MLB innings this season, either. And please, can there be a halt to the lament about starters not going deep enough into games, and instead an adjustment of moving more toward openers and spreading out the bullpen. Tampa Bay's starters have worked just seven more innings than the Tigers' in four more games. The Rays' bullpen has a considerably higher ERA (4.23 compared to 3.77). Yet, the Rays are typically five games above .500 because of the manner they use their staff.
The Tigers' schedule seems gruesome. The Cubs and Twins follow the White Sox and Cleveland.
But this is the season of the ever-changing
