Caputo: 5 biggest reasons Tigers are surging toward the playoffs
The Tigers' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to four, entering Wednesday night's game against the Rays. Their epic run is no fluke. Here are five factors fueling it.
1. Tarik Skubal's Amazing Season
Make no mistake, the Tigers' astonishing run toward the playoffs would not have been possible without Skubal's Cy Young Award-worthy performance from the beginning. This finish likely would have been like in 2021 and 2023 when the Tigers fell so far behind that playing winning baseball late did not matter. The Tigers are 21-10 when Skubal has started, and 62-64 otherwise. If not for unusually sensational seasons by Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr., Skubal would merit MVP consideration.
2. Adding Trey Sweeney, Subtracting Javy Baez
The dancing on Baez's baseball grave is distasteful because he suffered a serious injury, yet it's undeniable replacing him with Sweeney at shortstop has had a colossal impact. Sweeney has a 0.9 WAR in just 32 games. He has not only been an upgrade from Baez offensively, but defensively. Dealing rent-a-pitcher Jack Flaherty at the trade deadline is proving to be a season-changing move by president of baseball operations Scott Harris.
3. The Value of Parker Meadows
Even early in the season when he was struggling to keep his batting average above .100, Meadows had a plus WAR and the Tigers were winning games. When he was sent to Toledo because of his hitting woes, their defensive structure collapsed. Since he returned from the minors, the Tigers have been much better in the field. He's also an outstanding base-runner and has contributed significantly at the plate. Want proof: The Tigers are 51-26 with Meadows in the lineup. They are 32-48 when he hasn't played. That's the definition of impact.
4. A.J. Hinch Pulling it Together
After the Tigers got off to a reasonably good start (18-13), they became unhinged. They pitched brilliantly but nonetheless kept losing because of atrocious approaches at the plate, and a Three Stooges routine in the field. It didn't reflect well on Hinch, who kept trying to fit square pegs into round holes under the guise of lineup flexibility.
To his credit, Hinch kept his cool and made masterful in-season adjustments. His handling of the Tigers pitching staff after the trade deadline has been remarkable. He never lost his team emotionally. When Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter came back from injury, Sweeney arrived and the Baez dilemma disappeared, and Meadows returned from Triple-A a revamped hitter, Hinch took full advantage of better resources. He deserves serious Manager of the Year consideration.
5. Improved Analytics and Player Development
The Tigers' game-to-game preparation has been superior. They accurately have assessed the opposition in every respect from plate approach to pitching matchups to positioning in the field. That so many players have come up this season MLB-ready, both youngsters and journeymen veterans, after spending time in the Tigers' minor league system speaks volumes about the strides they have made in player development under Harris. It sure wasn't like that before he took the helm.
