This once-mocked Tigers exec deserves credit for Detroit's 2025 breakout

Detroit Tigers fans might not have much love for former general manager Al Avila. The much-maligned executive took over the club in 2015 after the Tigers had posted four straight winning seasons. During his seven-year tenure, Avila presided over just one winning season, an 86-75 campaign in 2016, missing the playoffs by a hair that year.

When Avila was fired in August of 2022, he finished his Tigers tenure with a pitiful 404-573 record. The franchise was looking hopeless, finishing 2022 with a putrid 66-96 record.

Many of Avila's plans often went awry. Tigers fans certainly remember signing Justin Upton to a massive six-year, $132 million contract back in 2016, just to trade him a little over a year and a half later in August of 2017.

Jordan Zimmermann and his five-year, $110 million deal are another black mark on his resume as the starter was plagued by injuries and ineffectiveness, posting a 5.63 ERA during his stint in the Motor City.

And of course, who could forget the albatross contract he gave to Javy Baez, who just now looks to be a positive force on the team, even if he's still way short of expectations. In fact, of the 15 worst free agent signings in club history, many can be traced back to Avila.

While there's much to criticize Avila for, the state of the 2025 team, which owns the best record in baseball, also has a lot of his fingerprints on it.

Former Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila deserves more credit for the club's 2025 breakout

Not all of Avila's draft picks were home runs — no general manager's are — but he hit on a better-than-average clip. That's led to some foundational pieces making their way to the big leagues and propelling the Tigers to the top of the American League.

To be fair, some were no-brainers like taking Casey Mize and Spencer Torkleson first overall in 2018 and 2020, respectively. But others, like Kerry Carpenter, who was drafted in the 19th round, and the otherworldly Tarik Skubal, a ninth-round pick, were true gems who have been major drivers of success in 2025.

Dillon Dingler and Riley Greene count among his successes as well. While Parker Meadows has yet to truly break out, he also oozes with potential, and it wouldn't surprise anyone if the 25-year-old soon finds himself in the win column for Avila as well.

Picking at the top of the draft throughout most of his tenure certainly helped, but high draft picks aren't always guarantees of success, and some of the Tigers' core pieces were late-round diamonds in the rough.

Despite the disappointing win-loss record during his tenure, the foundation of this Tigers club, which looks like a true contender, is littered with Avila's draft picks.

Would things have turned out the same if he had remained at the helm? That's unclear. But what's evident is that Avila deserves more credit than he gets for building the roster that has led to today's success.