Detroit Tigers - The Covid-19 Years (2020-2029)

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2020

2023

Decade

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Titles:

Top Tigers Players of the Twenty Twenties

2024 - Won WC over Houston; Lost ALDS to Cleveland

2025 - Won WC (Cleveland); Lost ALDS (Detroit)

Pitchers:

Tarik Skubal (17.85) - 45

BallPark:

Casey Mize (4.58) - 18

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

Jack Flaherty (3.3) - 10

Owner:

Will Vest (4.31) - 9

Chris Ilitch

Tyler Holton (6.9) - 9

Michael Fulmer (1.45) - 7

General Managers:

Reese Olson (4.4) - 7

Al Avila (2020-2022)

Scott Harris (2022-2023)

Catchers:

Jeff Greenberg (2024-25)

Eric Haase (3.97) - 14

Jake Rogers (0.1) - 14

Managers:

Dillon Dingler (-2.8) - 12

Ron Gardenhire (2020)

Lloyd McClendon (2020)

First Basemen:

AJ Hinch (2021-2025)

Spencer Torkelson (2.3) - 17

Miguel Cabrera (-1.86) - 7

No Hitters:

2021 - Spencer Turnbull (Seattle)

Second Basemen:

2023 - Matt Manning, Alex Lange, Jason Foley

Jonathan Schoop (2.93) - 15

Colt Keith (1.5) - 11

Hall of Famers:

Andy Ibanez (1.9) - 7

None

Gleyber Torres (2.9) - 5

Rookie of the Year:

ShortStop:

None

Javier Baez (4.07) - 16

MVP:

Third Base:

None

Jeimer Candelario (6.37) - 17

Zach McKinstry (2.8) - 13

Cy Young:

2024 - Tarik Skrubal

Outfield:

2025 - Tarik Skrubal

Riley Greene (10.84) - 31

Kerry Carpenter (6.58) - 24

Notable Events:

Akil Baddoo (3.12) - 14

Matt Vierling (4.4) - 14

2020 - Detroit continues where they left off the previous decade - they are

Robbie Grossman (3.0) - 10

a bad team, going 23-35. This extends their run of very bad teams to four

Parker Meadows (3.1) - 9

seasons. Not only that, there's not much hope of improvement any time

soon moving forward. Tiger fans had gotten spoiled as they had an

Notable Events:

eleven year run ending in 2016 where they were in the mix for the

Division title.

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.

□ Chris Ilitch is the owner of the team, having taken over from his father

The Tiger run differential indicated a 73-89 mark, so the Bengals aren't quite

Mike in '17. Mike had purchased the team in '92. Let's hope that Chris picks

as advanced as one might hope. Usually, outperforming your run differential

up his game and doesn't follow in his father's footsteps. It took Mike fourteen

means that you've got a lights out bullpen that's winning you the close ones.

years to turn the Bengals from league doormat to a winner in '06. One

Not the case with Detroit as they were winning the close ones but not because

would hope that Chris gets it together a lot sooner than that.

of a shutdown pen.

□ Al Avila had been GM since '15. He did not have a glowing record.

Offense:

Avila was fired in '22 and replaced by youthful Scott Harris, 37, who had

The Tiger offense will still be anemic in '24, just not as weak as '23.

had started out in the Cubs organization under Theo Epstein and then

3B Gio Urshela via free agency and OF Mark Canha via trade are upgrades.

became GM of the Giants in '19. The hiring of Harris is a good sign for Tiger

A pair of highly touted youngsters may be ready to emerge some time during

fans and shows that Chris Ilitch is starting to get his head in the game.

the year to provide a boost to the offense: OF Max Clark, the 3rd overall pick in

23 draft and IF Colt Keith. The hope is that youngsters Spencer Torkelson,

□ Ron Gardenhire is a highly regarded manager who had presided over

Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Kerry Carpenter take a step forward.

a train wreck for the three years coming into the decade.

□ C Jake Rogers, 29, '17 Trade from Houston, 21-49-.221

Gardenhire was mercifully fired and replaced by AJ Hinch.

□ C Dillon Dingler, 25, '20 2nd round pick, (16-58-.256 A/AA/AAA)

Hinch is the excellent ex Houston Astros manager who presided over

□ 1B Spencer Torkelson, 24, #1 overall pick in '20 draft, 31-94-.233

the Astro mini-dyanasty. Hinch had been suspended for the '20 season

□ 2B Colt Keith, 22, '20 draft 5th round, top prospect

due to his participation in the Astros sign-stealing scandal and the

□ 2B Andy Ibanez, 31, '23 Obtained from Texas, 11-41-.264

Tigers grabbed him for the '21 season. This was an excellent move

□ SS Javier Baez, 31, '22 FA from Cubs, 9-59-.222

by Illitch / Avila and showed that Detroit was getting serious about

□ 3B Gio Urshela, 32 '24 FA from Anaheim, 2-24-.299

turning things around.

□ OF Kerry Carpenter, 26, '19 19th round pick, 20-64-.278

□ OF Riley Greene, 23, #5 overall pick in '19 draft, 11-37-.288

2020 - FA 2B Jonathan Schoop,28, is signed from the Twins. He's a good

□ OF Mark Canha, 35, '24 Trade from Milwaukee, 5-33-.287

hitter, but that fades as time goes on in Detroit

□ OF Matt Vierling, 27, '23 trade from Phillies, 10-44-.261

□ OF Max Clark, 19, '23 3rd overall pick, top prospect

2021 - The Bengals appear to be moving in the right direction as they win

□ OF Parker Meadows, 24, '18 2nd round pick, 3-13.232

77 games.

□ IF Zach McKinstry, 29, '23 Trade from Cubs, 9-35-.231

2022 - FA SS Javier Baez, 29, is signed from the Cubs. He's a good hitter

Pitchers :

in Chicago, but completely loses his plate discipline in Detroit.

The loss of FA lefthander Eduardo Rodriguez to Arizona is a big blow to the staff

The additions of Kenta Maeda, Jack Flaherty and Shelby Miller don't come close

2022 - Detroit stumbles a bit and drops eleven games in the standings to an

to making up for the loss. The Tigers had been amassing a bunch of promising

ugly 66-96 mark. Lots of injuries to young pitchers sabotages the season.

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 loses 3B Jeimer Candelario to Washington in free agency

What was hoped to be a studly rotation hasn't materialized. Jackson Jobe, a

for not a lot of money. Not a good fielder, Jeimer, 29, was one of the better

twenty one year old righty and third overall pick in the '21 draft is the

bats in the Tigers lineup. The Bengals trade for Phillies 3B Nick Maton, 26.

latest big time mound prospect who may make it to the big club in '24

A lateral move, at best. Detroit also gets OF Matt Vierling, 26, in the deal.

The bullpen is not special and you wouldn't expect the Tigers to be winning

Matt's not a long term answer at the position. They give up lefty closer

all of the close ones again in '24.

Gregory Soto, 27, for these guys, which seems like a lot.

□ 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 - Detroit is building, but not nearly there yet.

□ RHP Kenta Maeda, 36, '24 FA from Twins, 6-8 4.23

They gained twelve games in the standings in '23 to 78-84 and are on their way.

□ RHP Jack Flaherty, 28, '24 FA from Baltimore,1-3 6.75

They've got some serious pitching talent, but most of it is battling with injuries.

□ RHP Casey Mize, 27, #1 overall pick in '18 draft, TJ surgery

The offense needs a massive infusion of talent.

□ 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

2023 - Future HOF third baseman Miguel Cabrera retires after the season.

□ LHP Tyler Holton, 27, '23 Obtained from Arizona, 3-2 2.11

□ RHP Andrew Chafin, 25, '24 FA from Twins, 3-4 4.73

2023 - OF Austin Meadows released after the season

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

be a contender and, therefore, wouldn't need to re-sign him for '25.

However, Detroit then went on to make the post season and re-acquired

Flaherty for another playoff push. He was 13-7 overall in '24.

Win-win-win. They made the playoffs, got prospects and got Flaherty for '25.

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.

At the trade deadline, Tigers management correctly assessed that they were not

contenders and dealt righty Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers. They felt that way

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. Anyway, behind Skrubel, the Tigers made it to the

playoffs and management is now in a position of trying to build onto a

playoff callibre team.

2025 Pitching:

Outside of Skrubel, there wasn't anything close to a sure thing in the rotation.

after the '24 trade deadline. Now, they also have their strong number two

starter, Jack Flaherty, back in the rotation. Behind those two are question marks.

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. Jason Foley, 29, is the closer at 3-6 3.15 28 saves.

Beau Briskie and Tyler Holton were effective as setup men 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, 3B Jace Jung, 24, SS Trey

Sweeney, 25, and C Dillon Dingler, 26.