This is what we know: The Tigers are going to be in the postseason.
What is far more difficult to discern is how well they will fare.
Most years, based on the Tigers’ obvious flaws, it would be difficult to envision a deep run. But there isn’t remotely a dominant team in the American League. Even the top contenders are streaky, inconsistent and fallible.
We saw the classic example of it Tuesday night during the Tigers’ 12-2 victory over the Yankees. The Yankees were brutal, popping up a bunt, walking hitters at an alarming rate, firing multiple wild pitches, displaying poor outfield range and being scatter-armed.
It wasn’t unusual. The Yankees have brutally been lacking fundamentals this season. Yet, they had won 11 of their previous 14 games and had just downed Toronto, the AL East leader, in two of three games. In the process, they had moved to within two games of the division lead. Toronto and Boston were terrible early, but surged. Now they blow hot-and-cold in any given week.
Remember when the Guardians were hounding the Tigers? It wasn’t long ago. Then, despite the Tigers’ leaking a bit too much oil for comfort, Cleveland still fell off pace and were passed by the red-hot Royals. Then the Royals slumped, and the Guardians got hot again and passed them.
The Tigers outscored the Astros 37-2 in a recent three-game sweep. Since then, Houston has played roughly .500 baseball, but expanded its AL West lead over Seattle. However, Texas has emerged as a bonafide threat, winning 13 of 17 after downing the MLB’s top team Tuesday, the Brewers. They have done so with their best player, Corey Seager, on the injury list, joining key veteran Marcus Semien.
Who the Tigers play, and where they play them, is very much in question. The biggest issue will be which team is playing its best when the playoffs arrive.
There have been signs of improvement for the Tigers lately. Their No. 2 starter behind Tarik Skubal is a major issue, but Casey Mize has caught a second wind. He is throwing harder than he has all season. He had an excellent start Tuesday against the Yankees, following up a solid effort against the Mets, each featuring among the best lineups in MLB.
Mize has kept his ERA under 4. He has pitched well enough for the Tigers to win consistently. They are 18-7 in the games Mize has started. Conversely, the Tigers are 8-20 in those started by the projected No. 2 starter, Jack Flaherty.
Parker Meadows has had an extremely difficult season because of injuries, but he seems to be rounding into form this month, much like he did last September.
Offensively, the Tigers are top third in most pertinent categories. They have a shaky left side of the infield, but are adequate defensively overall. Their catching, which plays a more important role in the postseason for a number of reasons from pitch-calling to shutting down the running game to pitch- framing, is especially strong. Catcher Dillon Dingler claiming the top job over Jake Rogers is the most significant year-to-year move the Tigers made.
Skubal pitches approximately 13 percent of the Tigers’ innings during the regular season, but that will likely rise given the scheduling pace of the playoffs. But the Tigers' biggest asset this postseason isn’t necessarily what they are, but what other AL teams are not.
Tigers president of baseball operations referred to the Tigers’ window of opportunity in 2025 as an illusion. He’s wrong about that. It’s wide open and very real.
Warts and all.