Detroit Tigers Rotation Mixes Premium Talent, Veteran Reliability and Elite Prospect
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Detroit Tigers baseball is on the upswing after going on a historic late-season tear that sent them to the 2024 postseason. Tigers fans deserved that surge after enduring a 10-year playoff drought, but ending that undesirable streak is only one reason to have optimism going forward. Detroit's rotation gives the Tigers championship-caliber upside over the next few years. That starts with headliner Tarik Skubal.
Skubal is the reigning American League Cy Young award winner, after going 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 2024. Detroit's ace struck out 228 batters over 192 innings, with a .92 WHIP and a 6.3 WAR, which was tied for baseball's best among pitchers.
Skubal will turn 29-years-old in November and the team will be able to keep him with his third and final arbitration through the 2026 season. Even if Detroit can't extend their ace, they have a two-year window with Skubal at the top of their rotation.
The Tigers brought back Jack Flaherty this offseason, after trading him to the Los Angeles Dodgers last July. Flaherty was successful with both teams last year, collectively putting together the second-most productive season of his career. Similar to Skubal, Flaherty is at least still close to his prime years, turning 30-years-old in October.
As a former three-time All Star put it, Flaherty was a great pickup for the franchise. Not only does Flaherty bring another reliable veteran presence to the rotation, but he's coming off a World Series run with the Dodgers. Flaherty's new deal keeps him in Detroit for two more years.
Reese Olson will turn 26-years-old in late July, putting together a 3.75 ERA over his two MLB seasons, both with Detroit. Olson averages 94.2 mph on both his four-seam fastball and sinker. with a slider that had a 45.5% whiff rate last season. Entering his third year, Olson has been much closer to a solid starter than a future headliner, but he's still young enough to raise his profile.
There is a good chance Detroit enters opening day with veteran journeyman Alex Cobb and soon to be 28-year-old Casey Mize to round out their rotation. But it's American League Rookie of the Year contender Jackson Jobe that makes Detroit a dangerous team over the next few years.
Even if Jobe opens the year in the minor leagues, it's likely that he plays a noteworthy role for Detroit sooner than later. Once he becomes a mainstay in the Majors, he has the high-end stuff to one day contend for Cy Young awards himself. If Jobe puts it all together in the next few seasons, Detroit could have two of the best pitchers in baseball.
In a best-case scenario, the Tigers will soon have two of the best pitchers in the league in Skubal and Jobe, with Flaherty serving as a reliable veteran third option. Even if Olson is already who he is, Detroit is on the cusp of having one of the most dangerous playoff rotations in the league. Given Skubal and Flaherty's current contract situations, the Tigers have a two-year window to create a truly high-end rotation.
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Ryan Reynolds has worked in sports media since 2019, where he’s primarily covered the NFL. He got his start writing for Evan Silva and Adam Levitan’s Establish the Run where Ryan became an authority on NFL awards markets. Ryan recently served as an Associate Director and content headliner for former NFL executives Joe Banner and Mike Tannenbaum at The 33rd Team. Ryan has also made multiple guest appearances on Fantasy Sports Radio on SiriusXM and VSiN. Outside of sports Ryan has a bachelor’s degree in accounting, graduating with honors from the University of Minnesota. He now has nearly a decade’s worth of experience in management. You can find Ryan on X @RyanReynoldsNFL or email him at RyanReynoldsNFL@gmail.com.