Detroit Tigers: Five things keeping the Tigers interesting

The Detroit Tigers are coming off a home stretch that saw some of their largest crowds since 2019 and got the city of Detroit excited about their beloved Tigers again.

As the trade deadline nears and the dog days of August await, the club has had a rollercoaster ride of a season. It has been marked by hot streaks and cold spells, milestone Miggy, 9th inning meltdowns, Bow and Arrow celebrations, and a barrage of winning streaks and losing streaks. Despite all of this, and a 47-55 record, the Detroit Tigers are must-see television.

This team is coming off a seven-game winning streak that led directly into a four-game losing streak. They surge at home and sink on the road, with a 28-22 home record vs. a 19-33 record away from the friendly confines of Comerica.

If this team wants to end up near .500, they need to begin consistently winning on the road to close out the season. Despite all of the ups and downs, for a team that was one of the worst in baseball for the first month and a half of the season, the coaching staff and players have done an admirable job to right the ship and bring some relevancy back to baseball in the city of Detroit.

More people have been talking about this team thanks to standout performances and young stars, and for the first time in what feels like forever they have been making the MLB Instagram and Twitter feeds, including this gem:

It seems as if every game something of interest happens. Allow me to guide you through some of these happenings.

Akil Baddoo

Akil Baddoo’s outbursts have been well-documented in Detroit Tigers’ circles. He began his career as a little-known outfielder from the Rule 5 draft and tore up Spring Training. Then he started the season on a tear, hitting a home run in his first at-bat, a grand slam in his second game, and a walk-off against the team that dropped him to the Rule 5 draft. He followed that with a slump that had many critics questioning his abilities and labeling him as a “fluke.” He has responded to the doubters by posting a .297 average in his past 30 games, and by being a spark plug for the offense with a .357 On-Base Percentage, four home runs, and seven stolen bases. This stretch led fellow contributor Roger Castillo to call for him to be put in the Rookie of the Year conversation.

It’s also worth noting Baddoo has an abundance of energy and passion for the game, making it look fun out there. Baddoo coined the Bow and Arrow celebration for the squad, which has been seen in action by more members of the Tigers. He has injected youth and passion into not only the offense but the whole team, and when he is doing well, the team often does well, too. He plays solid defense in the outfield and has made some incredible plays at times. It is clear Akil Baddoo could be a cornerstone of the franchise for years to come.

Here’s Baddoo ripping a double into the corner, letting the helmet fly off as he glides into second:

The Inconsistent Bullpen

Okay, this one is difficult to analyze, because the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen has been everything from dominant to horrible throughout the year. Regardless of their output, they make the game interesting. Some nights, fans see utter dominance, and others we see a Triple-A team. There is no telling what level of success the bullpen will have on any given evening. During the recent seven-game winning streak, the bullpen held its opponents close with an ERA hovering around 1.00 and looked the part of a dominant bunch. Kyle Funkhouser was playing the role of a dominant middle-innings reliever, Jose Cisnero would shut down opponents in the 8th inning, and Gregory Soto would slam the door in the 9th.

The Tigers were getting contributions from everyone, even Daniel Norris, Derek Holland, and Joe Jimenez. Tyler Alexander came in and tossed a couple of quality spot starts for the club when he moved to a starting role. Unfortunately, not everything has been this smooth for the bullpen, as they hold the worst bullpen ERA in the American League at 5.11, and always seem to be in sticky situations. After the win streak, the bullpen has recently fallen apart yet again, culminating in a disastrous performance from Gregory Soto against the Twins. Once again, the level of consistency has not been there for the Detroit Tigers bullpen.

If the Tigers want to compete in the near future, they will need to shore up their relievers, but for the time being, they make every game interesting, although it is typically out of frustration.

For a reference of the Tigers dominant bullpen:

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1417809007926972421

Jonathon Schoop’s Breakout

I am going to put aside Jonathon Schoop’s trade talks for the sake of this article because what he has done this season has been remarkable. On May 21st, he was batting a meager .211 and it looked like he was destined to be DFA’d, benched, or needed to undergo a serious reboot. Since then, he has been nothing short of dominant. In the month of June, he batted .340 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs. He was being tabbed as the “Hottest Player in Baseball” for most of that month and was picking up national attention. For reference, one of the leading MVP candidates, Fernando Tatis Jr., batted .300 with 10 home runs and 19 RBIs. Schoop had 10 more total bases than him, and while I don’t think Schoop is near Tatis’ level, he has played like an All-Star over the better part of the last two months.

He followed up his month of June with a .326 average in July, including a 15-game hit streak that he is currently riding (knock on wood). On the season, Schoop is slashing .288/.330/.460 and has posted solid defense at first base. He has been a consistent veteran presence in the clubhouse and is a perfect mentor for the young players coming up. He plays the game hard and the right way, and has been rewarded with a very productive career thus far. Schoop has been a bright spot on this team and the Tigers hope he can continue this production.

Here he is doing what he does best, consistently finding holes:

Detroit Tigers Youth Movement on the Mound

It is best to wrap this article up with the most exciting thing about Detroit Tigers’ baseball. They have three young starters who have graced the top of the organization’s (and MLB’s) prospect boards recently. Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, and Matt Manning have shown flashes of being a three-headed monster to fear in the Motor City. All three are under 25 years old and have taken leaps under the work of Pitching Coach Chris Fetter. Skubal and Mize both started 7 games in 2020, posting a 5.63 and 6.99 ERA, respectively. Mize won zero games while Skubal picked up just one win.

In Year Two, Mize has shrunk his ERA to 3.63 and Skubal to 4.42. More importantly, they have shown the ability to dominate games and have put together some incredible outings. Skubal tossed 7 innings of one-run ball against the Astros in June, striking out 9 and walking just one. In May, Mize shut down the Mariners over 7.2 innings, giving up just one run and striking out 7. Manning holds a 6.00 ERA over 7 starts but has made leaps with his secondary pitches and location. He went for 6 innings and gave up just 2 runs against the Rangers on July 21st, flashing his potential as a long-term starter for the club. They all have weaknesses, particularly giving up home runs and shutting the door on rallies, but the trio has shown their potential and it is exciting to watch their development.

Here’s Mize tossing a nasty slider to strikeout Martin Maldonado

My final suggestion is for you to sit down and enjoy a Detroit Tigers game this season, it will surely be a wild ride.