Detroit Tigers - The Covid-19 Years (2020-2029)  
   
 
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        Yr P W L   Yr P W L   Yr P W L               2020  
        2020 5 23 35   2023 2 78 84                         Decade  
        2021 3 77 85   2024 2 86 76                         Click  
        2022 4 66 96                                   on Logo  
                                                     
                                                       
   
  Titles:  Top Tigers Players of the Twenty Twenties  
  2024 - Won WC over Houston; Lost ALDS to Cleveland  
    Pitchers:  
  BallPark: Tarik Skubal (14.12) -   34  
  Comerica Park   Gregory Soto (1.52) -   16  
    Eduardo Rodriguez (3.67) -  14  
  Team Name:  Alex Lange (1.76) -  11  
  Tigers Jason Foley (3.34) -  11  
    Casey Mize (2.75)  -   8  
  Owner:  Tyler Holton (6.1) -  7  
  Chris Ilitch  Michael Fulmer (1.45) -   7  
    Reese Olson (2.7) -  6  
  General Managers: Joe Jimenez (-0.78) -   6  
  Al Avila (2020-2022) Matt Manning (1.63) -  5  
  Scott Harris (2022-2023) Tyler Alexander (2.22) -   5  
  Jeff Greenberg (2024-25) Spencer Turnbull (2.42) -   5  
    Jack Flaherty (2.4) -   5  
  Managers:    
  Ron Gardenhire (2020) Catchers:  
  Lloyd McClendon (2020) Eric Haase (3.97) -  14  
  AJ Hinch (2021-2025) Jake Rogers (2.88) - 13  
       
  No Hitters:  First Basemen:  
  2021 - Spencer Turnbull (Seattle) Spencer Torkelson (-0.06) -  10  
  2023 - Matt Manning, Alex Lange, Jason Foley Miguel Cabrera (-1.86) -   7  
       
  Hall of Famers: Second Basemen:  
  None Jonathan Schoop (2.93) -   15  
    Colt Keith (1.1) -  7  
  Rookie of the Year: Andy Ibanez (1.9) - 6  
  None Harold Castro (0.12) -   5  
       
  MVP: ShortStop:  
  None Javier Baez (3.27) -  11  
    Niko Goodrum (0.07)  -   5  
  Cy Young:    
  2024 - Tarik Skrubal Third Base:  
    Jeimer Candelario (6.37) -   17  
    Willi Castro (0.87) -   5  
  Notable Events:    
    Outfield:  
  2020 - Detroit continues where they left off the previous decade - they are Riley Greene (8.74) -  23  
  a bad team, going 23-35. This extends their run of very bad teams to four Kerry Carpenter (4.78) - 17  
  seasons. Not only that, there's not much hope of improvement any time Akil Baddoo (3.12) -  14  
  soon moving forward. Tiger fans had gotten spoiled as they had an Matt Vierling (4.4) -  14  
  eleven year run ending in 2016 where they were in the mix for the  Robbie Grossman (3.0) -  10  
  Division title. Victor Reyes (0.85) -   6  
    Parker Meadows (3.1)  -  7  
  □   Chris Ilitch is the owner of the team, having taken over from his father Austin Meadows (0) -  0  
  Mike in '17. Mike had purchased the team in '92. Let's hope that Chris picks  
  up his game and doesn't follow in his father's footsteps. It took Mike fourteen Notable Events:  
  years to turn the Bengals from league doormat to a winner in '06. One   
  would hope that Chris gets it together a lot sooner than that.  2024 - Detroit's pitching was 8 runs better than league average in '23, a positive  
    sign. However, the offense was poor generating 87 runs less than league average.  
  □   Al Avila had been GM since '15. He did not have a glowing record.  The Tiger run differential indicated a 73-89 mark, so the Bengals aren't quite  
  Avila was fired in '22 and replaced by youthful Scott Harris, 37, who had as advanced as one might hope. Usually, outperforming your run differential  
  had started out in the Cubs organization under Theo Epstein and then  means that you've got a lights out bullpen that's winning you the close ones.  
  became GM of the Giants in '19. The hiring of Harris is a good sign for Tiger Not the case with Detroit as they were winning the close ones but not because  
  fans and shows that Chris Ilitch is starting to get his head in the game. of a shutdown pen.  
       
  □  Ron Gardenhire is a highly regarded manager who had presided over  Offense:  
  a train wreck for the three years coming into the decade.  The Tiger offense will still be anemic in '24, just not as weak as '23.  
  Gardenhire was mercifully fired and replaced by AJ Hinch. 3B Gio Urshela via free agency and OF Mark Canha via trade are upgrades.  
  Hinch is the excellent ex Houston Astros manager who presided over A pair of highly touted youngsters may be ready to emerge some time during  
  the Astro mini-dyanasty. Hinch had been suspended for the '20 season the year to provide a boost to the offense: OF Max Clark, the 3rd overall pick in   
  due to his participation in the Astros sign-stealing scandal and the 23 draft and IF Colt Keith. The hope is that youngsters Spencer Torkelson,  
  Tigers grabbed him for the '21 season. This was an excellent move  Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Kerry Carpenter take a step forward.  
  by Illitch / Avila and showed that Detroit was getting serious about □ C Jake Rogers, 29, '17 Trade from Houston, 21-49-.221  
  turning things around. □ C Dillon Dingler, 25, '20 2nd round pick, (16-58-.256 A/AA/AAA)  
    Catcher of the future, still a couple of years away   
  2020 - FA 2B Jonathan Schoop,28, is signed from the Twins. He's a good □ 1B Spencer Torkelson, 24, #1 overall pick in '20 draft, 31-94-.233  
  hitter, but that fades as time goes on in Detroit □ 2B Colt Keith, 22, '20 draft 5th round, top prospect  
    □  2B Andy Ibanez, 31, '23 Obtained from Texas, 11-41-.264  
  2021 - The Bengals appear to be moving in the right direction as they win □  SS Javier Baez, 31, '22 FA from Cubs, 9-59-.222  
  77 games. □ 3B Gio Urshela, 32 '24 FA from Anaheim, 2-24-.299  
    □ OF Kerry Carpenter, 26,  '19 19th round pick, 20-64-.278  
  2022 - FA SS Javier Baez, 29, is signed from the Cubs. He's a good hitter □ OF Riley Greene, 23, #5 overall pick in '19 draft, 11-37-.288  
  in Chicago, but completely loses his plate discipline in Detroit. □ OF Mark Canha, 35, '24 Trade from Milwaukee, 5-33-.287  
    □ OF Matt Vierling, 27, '23 trade from Phillies, 10-44-.261  
  2022 - Detroit stumbles a bit and drops eleven games in the standings to an □ OF Max Clark, 19,  '23 3rd overall pick, top prospect  
  ugly 66-96 mark. Lots of injuries to young pitchers sabotages the season. □ OF Parker Meadows, 24,  '18 2nd round pick, 3-13.232  
    □ IF Zach McKinstry, 29,  '23 Trade from Cubs, 9-35-.231  
  2023 - Detroit loses 3B Jeimer Candelario to Washington in free agency    
  for not a lot of money. Not a good fielder, Jeimer, 29, was one of the better Pitchers :  
  bats in the Tigers lineup. The Bengals trade for Phillies 3B Nick Maton, 26. The loss of FA lefthander Eduardo Rodriguez to Arizona is a big blow to the staff  
  A lateral move, at best. Detroit also gets OF Matt Vierling, 26, in the deal. The additions of Kenta Maeda, Jack Flaherty and Shelby Miller don't come close  
  Matt's not a long term answer at the position. They give up lefty closer  to making up for the loss. The Tigers had been amassing a bunch of promising  
  Gregory Soto, 27, for these guys, which seems like a lot. young arms, but injuries have sabotaged them. Casey Mize a former #1 pick  
    had TJ surgery, Tarik Skubal has been battling injuries as has Matt Manning.  
  2023 - Detroit is building, but not nearly there yet. What was hoped to be a studly rotation hasn't materialized. Jackson Jobe, a  
  They gained twelve games in the standings in '23 to 78-84 and are on their way. twenty one year old righty and third overall pick in the '21 draft is the   
  They've got some serious pitching talent, but most of it is battling with injuries. latest big time mound prospect who may make it to the big club in '24  
  The offense needs a massive infusion of talent.  The bullpen is not special and you wouldn't expect the Tigers to be winning   
    all of the close ones again in '24.  
  2023 - Future HOF third baseman Miguel Cabrera retires after the season. □ LHP Tarik Skubal, 27, '18 9th round pick. 7-3 2.80  
    □ RHP Reese Olson, 24, '21 Trade from Milwaukee, 5-7 3.99  
  2023 - OF Austin Meadows released after the season □ RHP Kenta Maeda, 36, '24 FA from Twins, 6-8 4.23  
    □ RHP Jack Flaherty, 28, '24 FA from Baltimore,1-3 6.75  
    □ RHP Casey Mize, 27, #1 overall pick in '18 draft, TJ surgery  
    □ RHP Matt Manning, 26, 1st round pick in '16, 5-4 3.58  
    □ Closer Jason Foley, 28, '16 FA out of High School, 3-3  2.61  
    □ LHP Tyler Holton, 27, '23 Obtained from Arizona, 3-2  2.11  
  □ RHP Andrew Chafin, 25, '24 FA from Twins, 3-4 4.73  
     
  2025 - The Tigers re-sign RHP Jack Flaherty, 29. He had been dealt to the   
    Dodgers at the trade deadline in '24 because the Tigers didn't think they would  
  re-sign him. However, Detroit then went on to make the post season and  
  reacquired Flaherty for another playoff push. He was 13-7 overall in '24.  
   
  2025 - Detroit gained eight games in the standings in '24 to an 86-76 mark  
  and the post season where they beat the mighty Astros in the WC play in.  
  An interesting occurrence since Detroit was a seller at the trade deadline  
  dealing righty Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers. And they were correct in doing  
  so because other than Cy Young winner, Tarik Skrubel's, other worldly 18-4  
  season, this was a below .500 ballclub talentwise. They were below league  
  average in runs scored which Skrubel single handedly made up for.  
  That being said, they do have Skrubel and if he matches last year's   
  performance, the Tigers should contend for a wild card spot once again.  
   
  2025 Pitching:  
  Outside of Skrubel, there isn't anything close to a sure thing in the rotation.  
  Rookie Jackson Jobe has great stuff, Casey Mize is a top talent who has been  
  decimated by injuries including a back problem, and Reese Olsen had a 3.53 ERA  
  but only won four games. Jack Flaherty, 13-7, is back in the rotation.  
  Beau Briskie, Jason Foley and Tyler Holton were all effective in relief last year.  
   
  2025 Hitting:  
  This was a below league average squad last year that has added only one  
  reinforcement - second baseman Gleyber Torres from the Yankees. Torres helps  
  but he's not a game changer. Twenty four year old OF Riley Greene is, by far,   
  the team's best hitter, he went 24 74 .262. There are several other youngsters   
  that need to develop like 1B Colt Keith, 23, and several a year or two away in  
  the minor leagues who look intriguing. Nothing this year, tho'