Detroit Tigers roster: 26 tickets to Opening Day

Making an educated guess at the Detroit Tigers Opening Day roster.

We’re still about three weeks away from Detroit Tigers Opening Day, and spring training games may bring us a few more injuries or breakouts, but there’s never a bad time to do some roster speculation.

The concept for this this piece is relatively simple. We’re guessing which 26 players will make Detroit Tigers out of spring training. You make the team, you get a “ticket.” It’s an idea we’re shamelessly borrowing from MGoBlog, but they took it from soccer bloggers, so we think we’re in the clear.

Of course, figuring out MLB rosters isn’t quite as challenging as college football (or fútbol) rosters. Roughly half of the Detroit Tigers roster is already decided, with eight veterans signed to deals, and the club tendering contracts to eight more arbitration-eligible players.

There’s also some question about how many players teams will be able to carry in April. But no matter! For now we’ll assume 13 position players and 13 pitchers, and if things change, we’ll give it another go. This first section is simply alphabetical order, but after that things get interesting.

Detroit Tigers Tickets to Opening Day – Locked in Stone

1. Javier Báez – The Detroit Tigers’ biggest signing in years, Javier Báez figures to hit in the middle of the order and play 150+ games at shortstop this season. He has a good chance to be Detroit’s most productive player at the position since Jhonny Peralta.

2. Tucker Barnhart – A two-time Gold Glove winner, Tucker Barhnhart is being counted on to help this young rotation reach its potential. He is reportedly returning to switch hitting this spring, though it’s not entirely clear why, as he owns a career .591 OPS as a right-handed hitter.

3. Miguel Cabrera – Miguel Cabrera is an all-time great hitter in the twilight of his career, and he’s happy to make room for the next generation. He can still contribute to the club though, and he’ll likely collect his 3,000th career hit sometime in late April. 

4. Jeimer Candelario – Candelario struggled to find his footing for a few years, but he’s now an above-average big leaguer. He’s a solid defender at third base, and at the plate he’s a doubles machine with an above-average walk rate. If he can unlock a bit more over-the-fence power he has All-Star potential.

5. Andrew Chafin – Detroit’s newest reliever, Andrew Chafin gives the Tigers a one of the most reliable bullpen lefties in baseball. His WAR last year nearly equaled that of the entire 2021 Tigers bullpen, and he’s the sort of goofball who helps keep a team loose during the long season.

6. Michael Fulmer – It’s been a bit of a ride for Fulmer, who was an excellent starter in his first two seasons with the Tigers. Then he dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness for three years before emerging as Detroit’s bullpen stopper last year. Still just 29, Fulmer is a strong candidate to be extended or traded this year.

7. Robbie Grossman – Few could have predicted Robbie Grossman would become Detroit’s first 20-20 hitter since Curtis Granderson in 2009, while also finishing the season with the 5th highest walk rate in baseball (14.6%). Grossman is a quality veteran who should hit near the top of the order all season.

8. Michael Pineda – Michael Pineda is a very large human with an abnormal ability to avoid walks while getting hitters to chase pitches outside the zone. He figures to eat innings at the back of the rotation the way Brad Penny did for the 2011 Tigers.

9. Eduardo Rodriguez – Detroit’s likely Opening Day starter, Eduardo Rodriguez is young veteran coming off an excellent season, though his surface numbers from 2021 are obscured by bad luck and poor defense. There’s a good chance he’s the Tigers’ first 4WAR starting pitcher since Justin Verlander in 2017.

10. Jonathan Schoop – Schoop performed admirably in 2021 despite being asked to learn a new position. He should return to the middle infield this year, and though his aggressiveness limits his offensive ceiling, his bat-to-ball skills and impressive raw power make him a dangerous hitter who can carry the team for a few weeks at a time.

Those are all the players we’re absolutely sure will make the team. Now we get to the fun part, where we rank players by their likelihood of making the club.

Detroit Tigers Tickets to Opening Day – Strong Bets

11. Casey Mize – If Casey Mize doesn’t make the club out of spring training, something has gone horribly wrong. The top overall pick in 2018 draft, Mize wasn’t dominant in 2021, and stats like FIP and xERA didn’t like him very much. But he proved remarkably consistent for a young pitcher, giving up three earned runs or fewer in 26 of his 30 starts.

12. Tarik Skubal – Tarik Skubal is in the same boat as Mize. He should be a key member of the rotation, but he can still be sent to the minors should something go sideways. Skubal looked dominant at times last year, and he probably has the highest ceiling in the rotation, but severe home run issues led to twice as many blowup starts as Mize.

13. Akil Baddoo – Akil Baddoo is up to his old tricks early in spring training, with a home run and a triple in his first three games. He’s one of the most electrifying players on the roster, and he seems like a virtual lock to make the club as long as he doesn’t completely fall on his face for the rest of spring.

14. Gregory Soto – Yes, A.J. Hinch already named Gregory Soto his closer for the season, which makes it seem pretty likely he’s on the squad. But Soto doesn’t have the best history with throwing strikes, so there’s at least a small chance things go haywire and he begins the year in Toledo.

15. Eric Haase – One of the best stories for the Detroit Tigers in 2021, Eric Haase’s power and defensive versatility means he’s a very strong bet to make the club. He’s probably not a regular, but his 141 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers and his ability to catch and play the outfield could make him a true bench weapon.

16. Matt Manning – As a former first-round pick and top Detroit Tigers prospect, Matt Manning probably has the inside track to be the 4th or 5th starter this year. He looked good in his first outing of the spring, but he was outperformed by Tyler Alexander in 2021, and there’s a small chance he’s the odd man out to begin the season.

17. Tyler Alexander – Speaking of Tyler Alexander, Detroit’s former 2nd rounder was a valuable swingman for the club last year thanks to increased use of his cutter. Alexander actually performed better as a starter (3.38 ERA) than as a reliever (4.54 ERA), but his ability to do both probably guarantees him a spot on the club.

18. José Cisnero – A year ago José Cisnero would’ve been much higher on this list, but he really struggled in the 2nd half of the 2021 season, and he’s a little behind right now. He’s been a reliable late-inning option for the club the last few years, but he has one option remaining and could theoretically begin the season in Toledo if he’s not ready.

19. Alex Lange – Alex Lange is the opposite of Cisnero. He spent the first part of 2021 getting knocked around, but he was arguably the team’s best reliever in the 2nd half of the season, with a 1.71 ERA after July. We think he’s in the bullpen, but relievers are weird and inconsistent, and Lange’s fastball is still more hittable than it should be.