3 reasons to be excited about the Tigers and 2 reasons to temper expectations

The Detroit Tigers are an exciting team right now, but can they maintain this level of success?

The Detroit Tigers are playing some good baseball right now. They were off to their best start through 50 games since 2016 before walking off the Chicago White Sox on Sunday to take three of four from the South Siders.

We live in unprecedented times right now. The Tigers are currently still one game below .500, but are still just one game out of first place in the American League Central. That's how bad this division is.

Nevertheless, the Tigers are technically in contention right now. It may just be Memorial Day, but there's a lot of reasons to feel good about the team right now.

But with that being said, this team still isn't very good on paper. They lack a lot of talent and they still have one of the worst offenses in the league. Can they keep going and go for the division title?

We're going to attempt to answer that question today. Here are three reasons to be excited about the Detroit Tigers, followed by two reasons to temper expectations.

Three reasons to be excited: the AL Central is the worst division in baseball

The AL Central is horrible. It has been given the nickname the "AL Comedy Central" in some circles because of how bad it is. The Twins are 27-26—one game above .500—and lead the division. They are the only team in the division with a winning record.

However, they are still the best team in this division on paper. They are built to win. Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco, Pablo Lopez, and Sonny Gray headline the talent that team has.

The lineup was projected to be one of the best in the AL, but it is their pitching that has carried them. Their offense is just above league average in terms of runs per game, but they have the second-best team ERA in the league.

One area where the Tigers have an advantage is their record in one-run games. The Twins are just 4-10 in that area this season, whereas the Tigers are 9-4. The Tigers have definitely had a flare for the dramatics this season, while the Twins have not.

The rest of the division is a disaster. The Guardians can't hit, the White Sox are a mess, and the Royals are just plain awful. This is a very winnable division, to say the least.

The Tigers have an opportunity here. They can take advantage of a weak divison and make the playoffs for the first time since the Obama administration.