The Detroit Tigers will miss the postseason for the seventh straight year, an outcome expected from the day spring training began.
However, the Tigers finally appear to have hope, some light at the end of a very long rebuilding tunnel.
The Tigers are 66-75 with 21 games left in the season. It might not seem like much but it’s far better than the records Detroit have put up in recent years.
In both 2017 and 2018, the Tigers finished at 64-98 then sank all the way to 47-114 in 2019. They were 23-35 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
So, compared to the previous four years, nine games under .500 with a little more than three weeks left in the season is progress.
A.J. Hinch, in his first season as manager, hesitates to break down the season in detail because, “we’re not done with our schedule yet and we want to focus on finishing the season on a good note and write a good ending to our (story) this year.”
However, Hinch likes what he sees when he does allow himself to take a glimpse of the Tigers’ big picture.
“We've got some ingredients here that are going to help be building blocks as far as playing the right way and doing some really good things and in earning the respect back of our fans and within the industry,” Hinch said.
The Tigers are in third place in the American League Central, 15 games behind the division-leading Chicago White Sox and four games behind the second-place Cleveland Indians.
With no realistic chance of catching the White Sox, the Tigers could potentially run down the Indians and wind up in second place. That would be a sign a progress for a franchise that hasn’t finished as high as second since being runner-up to the Indians in 2016.
Most importantly, some building blocks are beginning to emerge for the Tigers, notably a pair of starting pitchers in right-hander Casey Mize and left-hander Tarrik Skubal, who are both 24. Matt Manning, a 23-year-old righty, is getting his first taste of the major leagues this season.
Mize is 7-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 26 starts in his first full big league season. He is showing why the Tigers selected him with the first overall pick in the 2018 amateur draft.
A ninth-round choice in the same draft, Skubal has broken the franchise rookie strikeouts record with 154 in 136 innings. His 8-12 record and 4.30 ERA in 27 games, though, shows the inconsistency that comes with young pitchers.
Manning is having growing pains as evidenced by his 3-6 record and 6.14 ERA in 14 starts. However, the Tigers’ first-round draft pick in 2016 has also shown flashes of brilliance such as holding the heavy-hitting Toronto Blue Jays to one run in six innings Aug. 27.
Leadoff-hitting left fielder Akil Baddoo looks like a potential key cog in the lineup after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft last December from the division rival Minnesota Twins. Despite having never played above Class A since entering professional baseball in 2016, the 23-year-old has hit .258 with 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 106 games.
The Tigers also have two of the very top prospects in baseball at Triple-A Toledo in corner infielder Spencer Torkelson and outfielder Riley Greene.
“We’re not where we need to be and we have a lot of work to do to get there but our guys are getting it,” Hinch said. “I’m so happy with our guys. I love this team. I love our makeup. I love our attention to detail in how we prepare. I love the fight in us, who we will come back and make you play for all 27 outs. There are a lot of attributes that will lead to a winning club. I’m very excited about the present and the future.”
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