I thought about this article a lot this week. After a series win against the Angels, then a 2-1 series win against the Cubs (Cardinals fan here, so thanks for that by the way), then splitting a series at home against division rivals the Royals in which all four games were decided by one run, I thought to myself, what could this mean?
Then I thought about the blip.
The blip you see on medical dramas and movies. When the patient has flatlined, and the doctors work and work and work until you see? the blip. The one little flash of a heartbeat ensuring there is life still.
The Tigers are 6 games behind the White Sox for first in the Central. But let’s face it, the American League as a whole this year has been abysmal. As of this writing, SIX teams. SIX TEAMS OUT OF FIFTEEN have records at or over .500. The AL West? Seems like it has just given up save for the Rangers. The East is the powerhouse division this year. The Central? A mix of both with the Twins knocking on the door to .500
With that said? Let’s look at the wild card standings. Even at 50-57 after yesterday’s loss to Baltimore, the Tigers remain only 4 games back in the Wild Card with all of August and September to play. There’s a strong chance we could see some October baseball in the Motor City.
How, you ask? Well, Let’s Look at the strong points.
Tarik Skubal remains one of the game’s premier pitchers. His start against the Royals showed that. 7.1 Innings, 12 strikeouts, 4 hits, 2 walks, 1 earned run. Bringing his record to 7-5. In his last 5 games, he’s gone 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA and 55 strikeouts. Doesn’t sound like a guy who is just looking to get paid. He also wants to win.
Troy Melton has been emerging as you hope any rookie would—a 1.95 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over his first 60 innings. Melton went 5 innings against the Royals and chalked up 5 Strikeouts and 2 earned runs in his no-decision on the 23rd. He has more than cemented his spot as a core piece in the starting rotation.
His disappointing night yesterday aside, Keider Montero serves as both an effective starter and a reliable multi-inning option out of the bullpen—8 strikeouts with the Cubs. Last night was just a reminder that young pitchers occasionally have nights they’d rather forget.
Now comes our magical offense. And by magical? I mean now you see it, now you don’t. The Tigers have gotten into a vicious cycle of scoring 1-2 runs to start, then going quiet for several innings. Riley Greene and Kevin McGonigle show some flashes of life, but there is not enough consistency in the lineup, which puts added pressure on a pitching staff that has already shouldered the weight of this club for half of this season.
And then? There’s Spencer Torkleson. 3 for 13 at-bats with 1 RBI. And in the four-game series with KC went ONE FOR 10 with 5 strikeouts. Whatever he had in 2023 and lost in 2024, then found again in 2025 but seems to have lost again this season, he needs to find it before 2027. In fact? The whole middle of the lineup needs to become more of a nightly threat instead of “Which one will we get tonight?”
Which leads me to the big story of this week. We got a trade deadline happening in less than a week. The question on everyone’s mind is Mr. Skubal, and I’m paraphrasing the Clash here. “Will he stay or will he go?” Entering the final week of the deadline at 50-57 and giving up their third consecutive game, the Tigers enter the trade deadline no-man’s land. I don’t see a decision being made until at least Friday. Maybe even closer to Monday, August 3rd.
But that is LITERALLY all you hear about the Tigers trade talks. And it’s not a coincidence. Someone gave the green light inside the front office for this to get out because EVERY trade rumor report is about it.
What would I do? Let go of Tork. Get some strong bats for the middle of the lineup and 1-2 more arms in the pen. Plenty of other teams deal with the same inconsistencies as we are. The way you fix it is in two simple steps.
- Make trades before the deadline or hope some good ones slip through waivers.
- Keep what’s giving you a chance to win.
Keep Skubal, give him some offense and relief, and GO FOR IT!
After a brutal May, the Tigers have survived and are not done yet.
That should tell you all you need to know about this team.
We saw the blip on the screen. Give them what they need for a full recovery. Don’t replace an appendage that is working.
Comments