Former Tigers pitcher dominating with Diamondbacks is an absolute shock

All Tigers fans can do is laugh. So much has gone wrong in Detroit this season that it's impossible not to look elsewhere, specifically at how former members of an up-and-coming, gritty group are performing on proven contenders. When it comes to the Arizona Diamondbacks revival, the surprise emergence of Eduardo Rodriguez came out of left field.

Rodriguez was named Arizona's starting pitcher of the month in May, and it's tough to argue with that result, as he's given up just seven runs in his last five starts, and lowered his season ERA to 2.24. Finally, after two full seasons of waiting, E-Rod is starting to look like the pitcher Arizona signed in the winter of 2024. That contract, which pays Rodriguez $80 million for four years, was also what made him a laughing stock until 2026. Suddenly, it's a bargain.

What's gone right for Eduardo Rodriguez in 2026

Rodriguez is finally healthy. What's not shown on the table above is that much of E-Rod's 2024 season was taken from him due to injuries. He hasn't looked the same since — until now. Rodriguez has fully bought in to what D-backs pitching coach Brian Kaplan is selling. What the Diamondbacks have seen in May is much of what the Tigers grew accustomed to in his final year in Detroit. Rodriguez was a stable presence, pitching late into ballgames and working around his limited mistakes.

Rodriguez has a good relationship with battery-mate and former Tiger James McCann, who's caught most of his starts. Rodriguez has an opposing average against under the Mendoza line when he throws his fastball. His changeup is an excellent second pitch that's worked wonders in 2026.

“Me and McCann got a really good game plan going on early, and then he just called the pitches and I threw,” Rodriguez said following an early May start. “I follow what he calls, but it's just mixing the pitches the right way.”

Did the Tigers make a mistake letting Eduardo Rodriguez walk?

And here is where we reach the overreaction stage of our article. Tigers fans won't remember the end of Rodriguez's tenure in Detroit fondly. First, the Tigers tried to trade Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline, but he declined to waive his no-trade clause. In doing so, he made Scott Harris look silly, and also cost the Tigers some prospect capital.

When asked why he wouldn't accept a trade to Los Angeles, of all teams, Rodriguez made Detroit sound like home. That all went out the window when Rodriguez reached free agency and chose to leave voluntarily.

As for whether the Tigers made a mistake, Rodriguez's first two seasons in Arizona suggest otherwise. E-Rod made just 10 starts in 2024 and struggled mightily to regain his form last year. When the Tigers would've needed him most thanks to two straight playoff runs, Rodriguez instead was a liability.

Rodriguez's return to prominence started in the World Baseball Classic, when he helped lead Venezuela to the WBC title. He held Team USA scoreless in 4 1/3 innings in the championship game. Since then, he's been lights out, and absolutely no one saw this kind of resurgence coming.

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