The Detroit Tigers, seen by many as a team of past success, are finally turning around their franchise and look like a completely different team than in past years. With a 32-17 record to start the year, the Tigers are first place in the entire league by three games and lead their league by five games despite multiple other teams having a record above .500 in their division. While many are quick to join the hype bus for the Tigers, some feel that this run might not last throughout the season and the best is behind us. Many people overlook how young and cheap the lineups are.
Over the months of April and May, the Tigers are heating the MLB with a +81 run differential, meaning that the Tigers have scored 81 more times than their opponents. Surely with scoring that many runs, the Tigers must be one of the top league spenders, right? It’s actually quite the opposite, with the Tigers only spending $101 million on this year’s roster, which is the fifth cheapest roster in the MLB. Other teams like the Mets and Yankees pay their players three times what the Tigers do, as a result of there being no salary cap in MLB.
A reason for their success could also be tied to their clever signings and extensions they made in the offseason, such as key figures Gleybor Torres and Casey Mize. Starting with Gleybor Torres, a former Yankees second baseman, quickly took a step forward. Averaging a .293 and a .800 OPS, boosting the Tigers’ offense towards victory after victory, while only having to pay him a slim 15 million. Moving on to Casey Mize, an overlooked old pitcher because of his injury history, has turned into a top pitcher in the American League, having a record of 6-1 when pitching and an ERA of only 2.53, meaning he gives up, on average, 2.53 runs every nine innings. These outstanding statistics were achievable with only a 2.3 million contract.
Some fans may be skeptical and doubtful of our playoff run and future, but with stars such as Tarik Skubal and Spencer Torkelson paired with veterans like Mize and Torres, there is no ceiling for how far the Tigers can go.
