On Aug. 10, the Detroit Tigers were 55-63 and sat ten games outside the AL Wild Card. They had a 0.2% chance of making the playoffs.
Since then, they have gone 31-13, the best record in MLB in that stretch.
Dreams do come true.
The Gritty Tigs, as the city has so affectionately taken to calling them, are riding a wave of youth all the way to the playoffs. Detroit has the youngest active roster in the league, and only two out of their 28 active players on the roster have postseason experience.
Numerous Tigers rookies have been called up late in the season, such as shortstop Trey Sweeney, catcher Dillon Dingler, second basemen Colt Keith, third basemen Jace Jung, second basemen Andy Ibanez, left fielder Justyn-Henry Malloy and right fielder Wenceel Perez.
As far as winning streaks go, this one has been powered by some incredibly clutch hitting and phenomenal bullpen play. In the last 30 days, the Tigers have the third-best ERA in MLB, sitting at 2.72 behind the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Guardians.
Having an elite bullpen is a very important trait for championship teams. Detroit’s bullpen is led by Jason Foley, who leads the team in saves with 28. Foley is flanked by excellent set-up guys in Will Vest, Brant Hunter, Tyler Holten, and so many other great arms that manager A.J. Hinch can choose from.
Led by the red-hot play of outfielder Riley Greene and designated hitter Kerry Carpenter, these Tigers are motivated and ready for their Wild Card series.
The Keys to Beating the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card series
Detroit got matched up with Houston for the best-of-three Wild Card series. The Astros have been the top dog in the AL for years, winning numerous pennants and titles over the last decade. It’s only fitting that the Tiger’s era of success will begin with the possibility of the Astro’s downfall.
How can the young Tigers knock off the perennial powerhouse of the American League?
1. Win pitcher Tarik Skubal’s start.
Skubal just secured the pitching triple crown this season and is the favorite to win the AL Cy Young award after the season. Whenever he starts a game, the Tigers have their best shot at winning. With him slated to start the first game, Detroit cannot afford to lose with the best pitcher on the planet on the mound.
2. Limit slugger Yordan Alvarez’s damage.
It is unclear if Alvarez will even play in this series as he is recovering from a knee injury and failed to make the trip to the Astros weekend series against the Guardians; if he does play, the Tigers must pitch around him.
He boasts a .308 average with 35 home runs and a .959 OPS and is an incredibly clutch player. On three occasions during the Astros’ 2022 playoff run, he hit a home run in the sixth inning or later while his team was trailing, which gave them the lead.
3. Stars must be stars.
If the Gritty Tigs are going to make a run, it will be on the backs of the team’s stars, Greene and Carpenter. These two homegrown talents have the most home runs and the highest OPSs on the team.
Carpenter may not get the start in the first matchup against Houston’s Framber Valdez, a lefty, as Hinch usually doesn’t play Carpenter against left-handed pitching. He only has 28 at-bats on the year against lefties, with a measly .408 OPS. If his number gets called later in the game when Houston goes to a righty reliever, Carpenter must be ready.
As the Tigers prepare for their first playoff appearance in a decade, the atmosphere at Comerica Park will be positively unmatched. I predict a 2-1 series win for the Tigers, with the Yankees waiting in the AL Divisional Series.