Detroit Tigers: 3 players who could represent team at the All-Star game

LHP Tarik Skubal

This is the most likely candidate. Skubal has not only pitched his way into All-Star status, he’s also pitched his way into ace status as well as some potential Cy Young Award talk.

Skubal ranks seventh in the American League in ERA, second in FIP, eighth in strikeouts per nine, fifth in K/BB ratio, and ninth in pitching WAR. The keys for Skubal this year have been the further development of his secondary pitches and limiting the hard contact.

His slider has been dominant this year, as he’s been throwing it much more often. He’s thrown it over 30% of the time in 2022 per Fangraphs. His curveball usage has increased ever so slightly as well. He’s done a much better job of mixing his pitches.

This had led to an increase in weak contact and groundballs. His groundball rate this season is 45.9%, well above 2021’s 38.5%. There’s no question the Detroit Tigers have found their ace.

One question many Tigers fans may have is whether he’ll get the chance to start the game. Sadly, that seems unlikely. As good as Skubal has been, there are many starting pitchers in the AL that have been even better, such as New York’s Nestor Cortes, Toronto’s Alek Manoah, Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan, and former Tiger Justin Verlander just to name a few.

However, if he keeps this up, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to start the All-Star game. At just 25 years old, we’ll be having this conversation about Tarik Skubal for years to come.

RHP Alex Lange

Of the many weapons in the Detroit Tigers’ surprising bullpen, Lange just may be the best of the bunch. He’s got a 1.54 ERA and 2.37 FIP. He still struggles with walks on occasion, but he’s been dynamite for the most part.

Acquired back in 2019 as part of the Nick Castellanos trade, Lange was a starter in the Chicago Cubs organization before the Tigers decided to make him a reliever. That could end up being a fantastic decision.

Lange has lowered his hard hit rate by almost 20% from a year ago. He’s also yet to allow a home run in 2022.

The biggest change for Lange this season has been the addition of a slider to his pitch arsenal. Last year he was heavily reliant on his fastball, throwing it about 45% of the time. This year, his fastball usage has plummeted, and he has been throwing his secondary pitches almost exclusively, mainly his curveball.

He’s upped his changeup usage as well, but adding that slider has been huge for him. It gives him an extra weapon to go to. If the Detroit Tigers do indeed end up having another reliever as their All-Star, Lange should be the guy.

DH Miguel Cabrera

This is probably a longshot, especially given the competition at DH, but at age 39, Miggy has been the Tigers’ most consistent hitter by a mile. He’s been hovering around the .300 mark for most of the season.

He doesn’t hit for much power anymore (.374 slugging %), but he’s come up with several clutch hits this season for the Tigers.

Of course, it’s been a season of milestones for Miggy. He recorded his 3,000th hit on April 23 and his 600th double on May 7.

The only problem with him making the All-Star game this year is that some guy named Shohei Ohtani is a DH. So is former Tiger J.D. Martinez. Giancarlo Stanton primarily DHs for the Yankees. There’s a lot of talent at the designated hitter position.

If he were to make it this year or next, it would be more of a sentimental thing a la Chipper Jones in 2012. However, Miggy has earned it with his play this season. He’s carried this offense. If any Tigers’ hitter deserves to make the All-Star game, it’s Miggy.