Guardians are beating Tigers at their own game right now and it feels terrible

The Detroit Tigers were supposed to be the next young, up-and-coming team in the AL Central. However, that vision — first started near the tail end of the Al Avila era and executed by Scott Harris — hasn't come to pass in Motown this season.

Instead, the Tigers have taken a remarkable step back since the midway point of 2025. Meanwhile, their biggest competition in the Central, the Cleveland Guardians, are beating the Tigers at their own game.

To be fair, some members of the Tigers young core (such as Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene) have played up to par this season. Heck, McGonigle even received a new contract extension. But as Detroit waits on the likes of other former top prospects, like Max Clark and Bryce Rainer, they've fallen short of expectations.

Detroit's lineup is essentially Greene, McGonigle and spare parts, while the starting rotation has floundered without Tarik Skubal to buoy it. The same cannot be said of the Guardians, whose balanced approach and smart roster building has Cleveland sitting pretty as early AL Central favorites.

Why the Tigers are a step behind the Guardians in AL Central race

Whether it be Chase DeLauter, Brayan Rocchio, Angel Martinez, Travis Bazzana or even Steven Kwan (who is just 28 in his own right), the Guardians lineup is full of under-30 performers who aren't going anywhere soon. Those stars are also affordable, which is critical in a market like Cleveland, featuring an ownership group notorious for their failure to spend.

As for Cleveland's starting rotation, every pitcher is under 27 years old. Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Joey Cantillo has 30 starts between them, with only Bibee featuring an ERA over 4.00.

This is a stark difference from the Tigers, whose young stars have let them down in 2026.

At eight games under .500 and 6.5 games back in the AL Central, the Tigers season is on the brink. Should they lose out on Skubal this coming winter (or sooner), Detroit will be without a true face of the franchise or an heir-apparent on the mound. Sure, replacing a two-time AL Cy Young winner would be difficult for most teams, but it doesn't help that the Tigers young talent has either taken a step back in 2026 or struggled due to injury.

At this time last season, Detroit's young lineup was finally starting to bloom. But in 2026, Spencer Torkelson is hitting under the Mendoza line. Colt Keith, despite an encouraging start, now has an OPS south of .700. Zach McKinstry, once thought to be the Swiss-army knife of this Detroit lineup, has played in just 26 games and has a -0.7 WAR. Wenceel Perez is a candidate to be demoted or perhaps DFA'd this season. Kerry Carpenter's on the injured list. Should I go on?

And don't get us started on the rotation, which without Skubal has been rotting away with Framber Valdez and Jack Flaherty leading the way. Casey Mize, finally back from injury himself, should be a helpful addition. Young players oozing with potential like Jackson Jobe and Troy Melton haven't touched an MLB mound this year.

Much of the Tigers failure to develop young stars in 2026 is bad luck, but Scott Harris and his staff have stacked far too many L's this season to ignore. It's a theme until proven otherwise.

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