Spring Training baseball is here. The Detroit Tigers hope to follow in the footsteps of the Lions and Red Wings and compete for a postseason birth. The young core continues developing, making Tigers fans something exciting to watch this year.
Young Core
The development of this young core, built by Scott Harris and led by A.J. Hinch, will give fans something to cheer for in 2024. Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and Spencer Torkelson headline the Tigers lineup, but Parker Meadows and Colt Keith join them to round out the young core of this Tigers lineup. They could hit 1-5 by the end of the season. Greene hit .288 last season, and if not for injuries, looked poised for a breakout season. Carpenter hit .278 with some power but also dealt with some injuries. Some more ABs in the corner outfield positions and DH should help keep them healthy. Torkelson struggled to start the season but finished strong with 31 home runs and 94 RBIs. Meadows and Keith posted strong numbers in the minors, and they are looking to translate that success to the majors.
Solid Lineup
Jake Rogers and Carson Kelly provide stability at Catcher. They are both solid behind the plate and provide some power to the lineup. Matt Vierling, Zach McKinstry, and Andy Ibanez will also help the bench as strong utility players. McKinstry is the most versatile, and Ibanez is the strongest bat. Vierling provides a solid depth in the outfield. The Tigers don't want to see Greene and Carpenter injured, so Vierling could have some time out there while those two split some DH. At the very least, it gives Hinch the option.
The Veterans
Then we have the veterans: Mark Canha, Gio Urshela, and Javier Baez. Canha and Urshela are talented players who provide some stability to the lineup. Canha should still provide a consistent bat for the Tigers, coming off a 2023 ops of .755. While Urshela's bat is exciting (career .277), his ability at third base gives the Tigers an answer they've been looking for while the farm club prepares the third basemen of the future (possibly Jace Jung).
Then there's Javier Baez. If Baez can perform at a fraction of the player he once was, the Tigers have an excellent shot to win the division. Luckily, the team doesn't need to depend on him outside of his play at shortstop.
The Rotation
The Tigers could have a strong rotation this year, led by opening-day starter Tarik Skubal. Skubal went 7-3 in a shortened season with a 2.80 ERA. More impressively, he had 102 strikeouts to 14 walks. They'll be hoping for bounce-back seasons from additions Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty. The others in the rotation will be Casey Mize (returning from Tommy John) and Matt Manning/Reese Olson. The Tigers may opt for a 6-man rotation to start the season, with so many players recovering from injuries. If not, I think they should go with Manning. When he's healthy, he's capable of dominating from the mound. In his last four starts (small sample size), he had a 0.38 ERA. It's hard to go away from Olson, who also played well down the stretch (1.85 ERA in final four starts).
The Bullpen
The locks are Alex Lange, Jason Foley, Andrew Chaffin, Shelby Miller, Ty Holton, and Will Vest. After that, there are plenty of options, including Beau Brieske, Joey Wentz, Alex Faedo, Miguel Diaz, Andrew Vasquez, and Trey Wingenter. Brieske, Wentz, and Faedo could be frontrunners to start the season because they'll eat more innings. Of course, there are always surprises with bullpen choices, especially with A.J. Hinch. I've heard the rumors that either Mize, Manning, or Olson could start the year in the bullpen. Mason Englert, Devin Sweet, Brennan Hanifee, or Drew Anderson could sneak on now or sometime in April/May.
Best Case Scenario
The Tigers win the division, Greene and Tork are borderline All-Stars, the team stays healthy, and Skubal, Mize, and Manning fulfill their dream of leading the Tigers rotation. Furthermore, the bullpen performs solidly, and the newcomers, Meadows and Keith, live up to the expectations. Better yet, some more prospects come up, and with the team's success, they feel no pressure and perform well.
Worst Case
The Tigers suffer multiple injuries and see multiple regressions from key players in Detroit and the farm system.
Who Else Could Be Up This Year?
Justyn-Henry Malloy seems the closest of all hitting prospects, but it seems more likely that Eddys Leonard will be up sooner. Ryan Kreidler and Akil Baddoo provide options for shorter fill-in work as well. I've heard Justice Bigbie, Jace Jung, and Wenceel Perez mentioned, but don't be surprised if one of the waiver pickups like Ryan Vilade, Buddy Kennedy, or Bligh Madris spend time in Detroit this year. A dark horse for a Major League debut is catching prospect Dillon Dingler. If he puts it all together this year, he is a favorite for a September call up.
I went through most of the bullpen call ups for pitching. After his strong 2023 showing (2.70 ERA in four starts), I expect Sawyer Gibson-Long to be the first addition to the rotation. Ty Madden, Wilmer Flores, Jackson Jobe, and Keider Montero could debut this season. Jobe seems less likely but could have another strong progression this year, leading to a September callup.
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