Detroit Tigers: 3 biggest offseason needs based on the playoffs

1. The Detroit Tigers need power from expected power sources

It’s no question that home runs are the name of the game offensively across the league, and while the Detroit Tigers didn’t have much power from any position in their lineup, they at least need to find power from the positions that are expected to yield 20-25 home runs per season–it would do wonders for an offense which averaged less than 3.5 runs per game and went down by most metrics as the second-worst offense in franchise history.

There are four key positions where the Detroit Tigers should expect power numbers but did not receive them in 2022: designated hitter, first base, left field, and right field. They’re all less-than-premium positions defensively and therefore should theoretically pose more offensive upside to offset the value limitations that come with the defensive home inherently.

Below is a table detailing home runs at these four positions in the 2022 regular season, comparing the Detroit Tigers to playoff teams (according to Baseball-Reference):

In fairness, it was level-headed logic to expect 40 home runs combined from Austin Meadows and Robbie Grossman–nevertheless, neither happened and undoubtedly contributed to their demise in 2022.

Even the worst among the playoff teams, the Tampa Rays, average five more home runs per season at each of these defensive homes. Home runs certainly don’t tell the entire power or offensive story, but this is more a microcosm of their overall issues at the plate.

None of these positions posted an OPS over .675; in fact, no position posted higher than a .680 as a collective. As teams like the Astros and Yordan Alvarez have shown, having a power supply for your offense is vital to run scoring and not only making the playoffs but staying there.

2. The Detroit Tigers need a workhorse starter, or two

There is a lot of talk lately about how the starting pitcher as we know it is dying, but in reality, it’s just evolving. Yes, starters are going less and managers are trying to limit their exposure the third time through an order–a strategy that only gets amplified in the playoffs where off days are more aplenty and leashes can be a bit shorter.

Nevertheless, having healthy and consistent starting pitching is a vital ingredient to playoff baseball. The Detroit Tigers didn’t have a starting pitcher go more than 21 starts this season, led by Tarik Skubal, who was shut down to end his season. By comparison, each playoff team had at least three of their starters start more than 21 games in 2022.

Certainly, there is an element of luck (or lack thereof) to accomplishing this next season. One or two of their starters could easily eclipse that number in-house (Spencer Turnbull and Eduardo Rodriguez immediately come to mind). That said, it is fair to wonder if they should be banked on for such durability given their history (although Rodriguez would have eclipsed this number had it not been for his personal matter that left him on leave).

The art of the 200-inning arm is largely dead, but having three pitchers that can be penciled in every fifth day is no doubt still an imperative ingredient to achieving playoff baseball in 2023.

3. The Detroit Tigers need depth, depth, depth

Having a key injury or departure is no excuse to have a poor season–although the Detroit Tigers’ year was particularly littered with weirdness, plenty of teams currently in the playoffs dealt with sizeable injuries and won despite them. How they’ve done it is by having the depth either in the minor leagues, their bench, or external resources to withstand the loss and win despite it.

The Dodgers have been without Trevor Bauer all season due to unexpected allegations of sexual misconduct; the Rays were likewise without their best pitcher for an extended period in Tyler Glasnow; the Mariners were counting on one-time top prospect Jarred Kelenic to be a middle-of-the-order bat in their lineup but his performance had him in the minor leagues most of the season; Cavan Biggio was optioned for the Blue Jays and hit just .202 in 97 games; Jordan Hicks dealt with injuries a good part of the season, and on, and on.

On the pitching side, the Detroit Tigers should have the depth to sustain a season, especially if they sign a starter in addition. There are some question marks with how ready Spencer Turnbull will be along with the severity of Matt Manning and Tarik Skubal’s injuries, but with the emergence of depth arms like Alex Faedo and Joey Wentz, they have some help in the event of inevitable injury. Mainly–they should look to either demote some of their current position player starters like Jonathan Schoop or seek to fill out their roster with more talented and more ready help than they have in past seasons.