Let’s poll fan confidence level as Grapefruit League action nears.
Spring Training has arrived and the full squad of 2025 Detroit Tigers are in camp this week preparing for their first Grapefruit League matchup of the season. On Saturday, the Tigers will welcome in the Philadelphia Phillies with Kenta Maeda getting the start at 1:05 p.m. ET. The offseason didn’t go quite as hoped, but the Tigers are at least modestly improved and they have a young team with core players who should continue to improve.
Still, the projection systems aren’t very convinced. Gleyber Torres should improve the offense a little, but otherwise the Tigers are largely returning the same team they fielded in 2024. That team did make the playoffs, but it took a miraculous month of September to get there. ZIPS doesn’t believe in miracles.
ZIPS does believe in the Guardians a bit, which is fine but not really all that well supported either. They shuffled some pieces around this offseason and should be a good team again, but Jose Ramirez isn’t getting any younger. The Twins have a pretty good offense on paper, and a really good bullpen, but the injury history of their best players doesn’t exactly lend them much certainty either. Meanwhile, the Royals overperformed somewhat last year as well, but can continue to bank on having the best player in the division as well as a pretty deep pitching staff.
You may not love the Tigers chances, and it’s fair to suggest they didn’t do enough this offseason, but the division still looks like a perfect, four-team toss-up, and I really don’t see any objective reasons to favor one team over another. And so I’ll stick with the Tigers, hoping that some of their younger players take a step this season, and trusting that the Tigers have the most, and the best pitching depth in the division.
How do see the Tigers stacking up against the rest of the division in 2025?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Detroit Tigers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.