3 surprising players who are off to strong starts for the Tigers

The Detroit Tigers were arguably the biggest surprise in all of baseball last season. Detroit's second-half surge to earn a spot in the MLB Postseason, coupled with their takedown of the AL powerhouse Houston Astros, was one of the most improbable feats fans saw in 2024.

But the Tigers aren't sneaking up on anyone this season. In fact, a number of MLB experts and pundits picked Detroit to win the AL Central in 2025. That's a high bar, but through the first couple weeks of the 2025 season, the Tigers appear up to the task.

The Tigers have a winning record, and are among the top-10 in the majors in both home runs and OPS, and it hasn't necessary been the usual suspects leading the way for Detroit during the early-going. Which three surprising players have pieced together a strong start and helped push Detroit atop the AL Central standings?

3 surprising players who are off to strong starts for the Tigers

Spencer Torkelson, Tigers infielder

There's not a bigger surprise in all of baseball to begin the 2025 season than Spencer Torkelson. The much-maligned first baseman was all but out of job heading into the season, but an injury to Gleyber Torres shifted Colt Keith back to second base, and has helped get Tork's bat into the everyday lineup.

The former first overall pick has mashed thus far with a .309/.409/.673 slash line, five home runs, 11 RBI, and an obscene 210 OPS+. Torkelson is firing on all cylinders to open the season, and it's safe to say that no one saw this coming.

Casey Mize, Tigers pitcher

On the pitching side of things, Tarik Skubal has been a bit underwhelming by his own standards. The Tigers ace has looked bit shaky so far in 2025, but fellow starter Casey Mize has picked up the slack and solidified his spot in Detroit's starting rotation this season. Mize has opened his 2025 campaign looking like a frontline starter with a 2.60 ERA through three starts.

While still an increidbly small sample-size, one stat that sticks out through the first couple of weeks is Mize's expected batting average. According to Baseball Savant, his .167 xBA is in the 93rd percentile after finishing near the bottom in 2024 with a .286 xBA. If this trend continues, Detroit's three-headed monster of Skubal, Mize, and Jack Flaherty could be the best in the big leagues.

Javier Báez, Tigers infielder

Admittedly, Báez had a low bar to clear. Always reliable on defense, Báez has struggled throughout his Tigers tenure — and really his entire major league career — to lay off pitches outside the strike zone. Báez is notorious for flailing wildly at pitches four-plus inches off the plate, and he's oftentimes drawn the ire of the Tigers fanbase.

But through the first few weeks of 2025, Báez has looked remarkably improved at the plate. The power hasn't come through yet, as evidenced by his .371 slugging percentage, but Báez's whiff rate is down, and so is his strikeout rate. In fact, his 21.6% strikeout rate is the lowest of his career. If he can keep up that type of plate discipline, maintain an above-average glove, and run into 15-plus homers, that gargantuan contract Detroit handed out in 2022 might not look so bad.