September 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder Wensel Perez (46) hits an RBI hit in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at UnionSign Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images The motto “Be like the Royals” is a rallying cry for at least one last-place MLB team, which hopes to end the season with some momentum carrying over into 2025.
Maybe the slogan could be changed to “Tiger Roars”.
While the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins from the American League Central have earned some respect in the wild-card race until the end of the season, the Detroit Tigers are now one of the hottest teams in baseball heading into the AL season Playoff seats.
The most surprising team in 2024 is one that reached the playoffs faster than they did and has become a team no one wants to face by the time the postseason begins.
Think about it, less than two months ago the Tigers were being scorned when they Opted not to trade left-hander Tarik Skubal Looking for a package of prospects in what appears to be another failed season.
Detroit was 52-57 at the end of the trade deadline on July 30. The Motor City Baseball had some horsepower, but it was wasted on a shooting suspension and worn tires.
The Tigers were in the midst of a five-game losing streak at the time, and their record was 52-59. Less than two weeks later, they were eight games below .500 and were 55-63.
It makes more sense to park that muscle car in the garage and cancel the insurance than to drive it around town and burn more fuel.
But as Tigers broadcaster Jason Benetti said after the Tigers cut the magic number for a playoff spot to two with a win Thursday: “A city that doesn't care about the odds has a baseball The team can match it.
While Skubal enters the rotation, center fielder Parker Meadows has been a revelation since returning to the majors after some brutal early-season struggles. Since his return from the injured list on Aug. 3, the Tigers have gone 32-12 in games, doing their part with offensive and defensive swashbuckling in Detroit's spacious midfield.
Through Thursday's game, the Tigers had scored 673 runs, ranking 19th in baseball, and their 161 home runs ranked 24th. They offset that with a 3.60 ERA, which ranked second in the American League and third among all MLB teams.
In the bullpen, left-hander Sean Guenther has emerged as a 28-year-old who has appeared in only 14 major league games before and hasn't pitched since 2021. Of the 16 games, 15 occurred after August 22.
Detroit's relievers led MLB with 675 2/3 innings pitched, but still ranked fourth in baseball and second in the AL with a 3.56 bullpen ERA.
best pitching prospect Jackson Job makes debut on Wednesday He got relief from a scoreless game, giving him time to contribute with the players he will spend time with teammates in what is expected to be a long major league career.
The Tigers have won five straight while taking nine of their past ten games, but will only gain more momentum heading into three games against the hapless Chicago White Sox on the final weekend. , and the same is true at home.
Just three weeks ago, the Tigers were a .500 team. Now, they're a candidate to head into the October abyss in a season without a superteam, hoping to ride the same wave that the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks did when they reached the World Series last season.
So while it's surprising that the Tigers have gotten to this point, no one should be shocked right now.