The Detroit Tigers defeated the lowly Chicago White Sox by a score of 4-1, clinching a spot in Major League Baseball’s playoffs for the first time since 2014.
During early August, Tigers fans thought it was going to be yet another year of missing postseason baseball. Their ownership and front office thought so as well, trading key veteran arms such as Jack Flaherty and Andrew Chafin to ‘contenders’ for prospects.
Not to mention, key players such as Reese Olson, Casey Mize, and Javier Baez went down with major injuries at the same time.
They were eight games under .500 and had just a 0.2% chance at making the playoffs at the time of the Trade Deadline.
Even the team’s players thought that the season was over. According to MLB.com’s Jason Beck, several players were planning offseason activities such as vacations in early August before the playoffs became a real possibility.
Right-handed pitcher Beau Brieske told reporters he was ready to attend a friend’s wedding at the end of the year.
Rookie corner infielder Justin Henry-Malloy booked a vacation to the Dominican Republic with his girlfriend.
“When we were starting to get into that discussion of a potential playoff, I told my girlfriend, I’m just giving you a heads-up early that I’m hoping we cancel our vacation,” Malloy said the day before the Tigers clinched.
Breakout offensive performer Kerry Carpenter and his wife are expecting their first child. Carpenter had scheduled a bunch of doctor appointments for right after the season ended, he said in an interview.
Ace pitcher Tarik Skubal said that some of the teammates were even planning on going to Monday Night Football with the Detroit Lions hosting the Seattle Seahawks the week after the season ended.
Yet, they never backed down.
Since the deadline, the Tigers have ripped off a 31-11 stretch, easily the best in baseball over that span, led by their elite pitching staff.
Detroit’s arms have been lights out, amassing an elite 2.67 team ERA (1st), 1.05 WHIP (1st), .210 BAA (2nd), and 18 saves (1st) in 347 innings over that stretch.
Left-handed superstar pitcher Tarik Skubal has been dominant his whole career, but took it to the next level in 2024.
He officially won the American League Triple Crown (most wins, strikeouts, and best ERA), while also being the front runner for the AL Cy Young Award. He boasts a 2.39 ERA/2.49 FIP, 0.92 WHIP, 10.69 K/9, 1.64 BB/9, and .200 BAA while racking up 228 K in 192 innings this year.
“He’s the best pitcher in the league, hands down,” NMHS freshman Ronny Wood said. “I can’t imagine going up to face him.”
Their offense has also significantly improved since the start of August, having the twelfth best offense in terms of fWAR (7.5), per FanGraphs.
The Tigers have also slashed .247/.307/.389, scoring 223 runs, smashing 50 home runs, and own a 8.4 BB%, 26.0 K%, and .394 wOBA.
The offensive charge is led by multiple breakout youngsters, including All-Star Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and rookie Colt Keith.
Greene, 24 years old, slashed .262/.348/.479 with 24 HR, a 135 wRC+, and a 4.0 fWAR in 2024.
Carpenter, a third year player, slashed .284/.345/.587 with 18 HR, a 160 wRC+, and a 2.4 fWAR, even despite missing a chunk of time on the 60-day IL in 2024.
Keith, just 23, was called up to give a jolt of energy to the lineup and has mashed ever since, slashing .286/.332/.434 with 13 HR, a 118 wRC+, and 1.8 fWAR. His ability to come through (110 wRC+) in high leverage situations has also been key down the stretch.
Detroit has embodied a phrase called the “Gritty Tigs,” due to their ability to grind out tough situations and win games in the clutch over their stretch of dominance. FanSided sports media even dubbed them as “Detroit's most fun baseball team in decades.”
The Tigers will look to continue their magical run in the postseason as they face off against the Astros in the American League Wild Card series.
Comments