The Detroit Tigers are looking to build on last season in 2024. They finished second in the AL Central, and with the AL Central being a weak division they can make a run at the postseason. The Tigers are one of the younger teams in the MLB, so look for them to make a big leap in 2024.

Where were they in 2023?

The Detroit Tigers were a young team in 2023, and they looked to young pieces to contribute to their success. They parted ways with their general manager, and new GM Scott Harris signed pitchers Matthew Boyd and Michael Lorenzen to one-year deals. Taking these veteran pitchers and adding to Eduardo Rodriguez and Tarik Skubal‘s staff helped the Tigers stay near the top of the AL Central. The young hitters were a big part of the Tiger’s success. 23-year-old Spencer Torkelson hit 31 HRs along with 94 RBIs, which were both team highs. Riley Greene led the team with a .288 BA, with Kerry Carpenter not far behind at .278. The progression of the young roster will determine how far the Tigers can go, and how much of a force they can be in the AL.

Key Losses:

Eduardo Rodriguez: Rodriguez had the best year of his career last year with the Tigers. Rodriguez has turned his game around after coming from the Boston Red Sox in 2022. He had a 3.30 ERA with 13 Wins and 9 Losses. Last year, Rodriguez was a popular trade target at the trade deadline but ultimately stayed with the Tigers. This offseason Rodriguez signed a 4-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Key Additions

Jack Flaherty: The Tigers signed Flaherty to a one-year deal in December. Flaherty is there to bolster the rotation, but he recently is coming off one of his worst seasons in the MLB. The Tigers hope he can get back to what he was in St. Louis.

Mark Canha: Canha was traded to the Tigers from the Milwaukee Brewers in November. He batted .262 in 2023 with both the Brewers and the New York Mets. Canha is projected to be a veteran LF for the club.

Avoiding Arbitration

The Detroit Tigers had some of their best players up for arbitration. The biggest one was avoiding arbitration with left-hander Tarik Skubal. Skubal is poised to have a break-out year for the Tigers. The others who avoided arbitration are Akil Baddoo and Jake Rogers. On the other hand, the one who did not avoid arbitration is right-hander Casey Mize.

Depth Chart

Opening Day Rotation: Skubal, Flaherty, Kenta Maeda, Matt Manning, Reese Olson.

Bullpen: Joey Wentz, Andrew Chafin, Shelby Miller, Alex Faedo, Will Vest, Tyler Holton, Jason Foley, Alex Lange.

Starting Lineup: CF Parker Meadows, 1B Torkelson, DH Greene, RF Carpenter, LF Canha, 2b Colt Keith, 3B Gio Urshela, SS Javier Báez, C Jake Rogers

Bench: 2B Andy Ibáñez, OF Matt Vierling, OF Zach McKinstry, C Carson Kelly

Where Do They Plan to Go?

All in all, the Detroit Tigers are in a spot to make some noise in 2024. That could mean making a run at the AL Central Division title or even making a run in the playoffs. Tarik Skubal is a guy who will need to be the ace of the rotation for the Tigers to succeed. The Tigers also have 2 of their top 6 prospects starting on opening day with two more on the way later in the season. Those guys are 2B/3B Jace Jung and RHP Ty Madden. The Tigers could be one or two years away from being a legitimate threat to the rest of the AL, but it would be plausible that they make a run in 2024. The bullpen is a big question mark for the Tigers and that could be a problem. Lastly, the Detroit Tigers are in a position to have a great year and are in the mix for the division title.

Win Projection: 78-82 wins

Odds to win World Series: +7000 (via FanDuel)

The Detroit Tigers are projected to be the 3rd place team in the AL Central in 2024 and their odds to win the division are at +380. Finally, Tarik Skubal is +1000 for the Cy Young so it could be a sneaky bet.

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