The Sun’s Out…Let’s Talk Tiger’s Baseball!!!
That’s right folks! We sprung forward this weekend so that instantly puts me in the mood for baseball! As most folks know I am a die-hard Red Sox fan but I do enjoy following the Tigers as well. That being said, we are entering the post Miggy era of Tigers baseball so what is that going to look like moving forward?
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room…this team is super young. Super young! But that is where the business of baseball is going in this day and age. But not only is this the post Miggy era but it is also the start of the Scott Harris era as President of Baseball Operations as well. We are now seeing these young players grow and start to flourish. Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Tarik Skubal, and other youngsters are bolstering this line up and it is a breath of fresh air! It seems like everywhere you look there is a homegrown prospect. They wrapped up last season on a big high note but the question remains can they continue that into the start of this season.
This team is going to win and lose with pitching. This slew of starting pitching is laced with young arms…and they are getting some of those arms off the injury list, mainly Casey Mize. I think all Tigers fans have been wanting him to dominate like he did throughout the minors and college. The bullpen has been the highlight of the team for the last few years and it shouldn’t slow down this season. Even though the arms are mostly unproven but they are going to be asked to anchor this team while the young guns in the lineup get things worked out. We saw Torkelson have his coming out party last season, especially the second half of the season, and that was an extremely welcoming sight to Tigers fans. Hopefully Greene can stay healthy and those two can grow together and become a legit 1-2 punch.
So where does this leave this team? With the lackluster play of the rest of the teams in the American League Central, saying the Tigers have a shot to with the division isn’t outlandish. The White Sox, Guardians, and Twins are all very average at best. Unlike my Red Sox, they have a much easier route to the playoffs because of the division they play in. If you are a gambling fan, as I write this the Tigers are +370 to win the division behind the Twins and Guardians. I for one, have placed a futures bet on that. Give me that money! That being said, here’s to an exciting season Tigers fans!