After a decade of disappointment, the Detroit Tigers have ended up in the postseason, capturing the hearts of fans by defying expectations. With a perfect blend of young talent and seasoned veterans, the team turned a losing record into a successful playoff run, giving hope to a city long awaiting baseball glory once again.
The Detroit Tigers went into the All-Star break having a losing 39-50 record, trading away their number two starting pitcher Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers right before the trade deadline. By the end of September, they were sitting at a solid 86-75 meaning they won 34 of their last 52 games giving them a spot in the 2024 AL wildcard (Baseball Reference).
Flaherty was having a career season with the Tigers, going 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA and striking out 133 over 106.6 innings. As he was traded for Two prospects in SS Trey Sweeny and C/1B Thayron Liranzo. For the Dodgers Flaherty had a 3.58 ERA while striking out 61 batters in 55.1 innings (Baseball Reference).
“I thought the trade was great for both teams” Junior Michael Rice said, “the tigers got two great guys, and Flaherty was not very good on the Dodgers.”
“I think they really just realized that they may as well just give it their best shot,” teacher Collin Syler said. “They were already virtually eliminated, so they figured they had nothing to lose at that point.”
This new outlook allowed the Tigers to play with confidence, which changed their mindset and approach on the field.
“I think that the best thing they did towards the end of the season was that everyone was working together,” senior Luke Gardner said. “Everyone on the roster was involved, the bullpen kept coming in and closing out games, and batters kept runners moving on the base paths.”
The run was helped by their all-star and CY young candidate pitcher Tarik Skubal. He has had an amazing season with a 2.39 ERA with an 18-4 Win/Loss and 228 strikeouts, putting him first for winning the 2024 CY young award (Baseball Reference).
“I think the Tigers most valuable player was Tarik Skubal,” junior Chris Ventimiglia said. “Every time he pitches all his teammates play loose which is what I believe got them into the postseason.”
While teamwork and all-star Tarik Skubal played a crucial role in their late-season heroics, there were still areas for improvement that could have given the team a better chance at the start of the season.
“They could have signed a new bat, someone that was a .300 hitter, or a 30-home run hitter,” teacher Jeffery LaPratt said. “Had it been me, I would have put an extra veteran hitter on that ball club to help them out.”
Even though the Tigers lost their chance to become World Series Champions, this season will be remembered as a turning point in Detroit’s baseball history. Fueled by their amazing run this year Detroit fans are sure to be anxiously awaiting the beginning of next season.
