Detroit Tigers Ideal Opening Day Starting Rotation has Become Obvious

The Detroit Tigers are just weeks away from getting started with a 2025 campaign which they hope is even more successful than the tremendous run they saw last year.

Following a non-contending status for a large portion of the regular season, the Tigers put it together down the stretch for a miraculous run which saw them make the playoffs and come within a game of their first ALCS appearance in a decade.

Part of the reason why that run ended when it did instead of Detroit rolling further into the playoffs was a lack of reliable starting pitching behind what was a historic season for ace Tarik Skubal. Entering the offseason, starting pitching was arguably the No. 1 thing fans wanted to see added, and while it took some time, the Tigers made moves.

The most significant of which was bringing back Jack Flaherty on a lucrative contract after shipping him out of town at the trade deadline, something which puts the rotation in an infinitely stronger place.

Even after Flaherty's signing however, there were major question marks entering the spring as to who was going to fill the back end spots in the rotation behind the locks.

Outside of Skubal, Flaherty, and Reese Olson, the final two spots were up for grabs between at least four real options. Technically those spots are still available to be taken, but as things have played out, there is only one real viable solution for who is in the rotation to begin the season.

Alex Cobb likely would have been a lock as well due to the money the team committed to him, however the oft-injured veteran is already dealing with an ailment which is going to hold him out to start the year, so relying on him to be one of the defined top-five is a foolish endeavor. Cobb's injury did however open a spot.

Top prospect Jackson Jobe has shown enough potential in camp to have the team let him learn on the job and enter the big leagues now rather than starting him in Triple-A. Jobe has as much potential as anyone in the room and there has been nothing this spring to show he does not deserve the shot.

Fascinatingly, the other person who has earned a role is former No. 1 overall pick and top prospect Casey Mize.

It's fair to say Mize's career has been largely a disappointment up to now, though the right-hander has shown this spring he may be ready to break out.

In eight innings pitched over three appearances and two starts, Mize has yet to give up a run and has struck out 10, posting an impressive WHIP of 0.630 as well.

The resurgence from Mize has been led by a seeming return of his devastating splitter which made him such an intriguing prospect, a pitch which has been causing batters to swing and miss at a high rate.

Mize may never be the pitcher he was billed up as, but if he can have less pressure on him in the back of the rotation and simply be serviceable, it would go a long way towards raising the overall ceiling of this unit to potentially be one of the best in baseball.

Last year's lucrative signing Kenta Maeda appeared to be making a push early in spring to exit the bullpen and get back to being a starter. Unfortunately for the veteran, his shelling at the hands of the New York Yankees on Monday put into focus the fact he cannot be counted on either.

If Jobe makes it, the team will have a decision to make between Mize, Maeda and Keider Montero and with that being said, Mize has made the best case between the three of them.

An Opening Day starting rotation featuring Skubal, Flaherty, Olson, Jobe, and Mize has really become what should be seen as the only viable option with the season just over two weeks away.

If things do in fact move in that direction, look out for Detroit this season to be near the top of the charts in terms of statistics among starters.

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