MLB Insider Explains why Detroit Tigers Could Win AL Central Division

The American League Central is up for grabs with four quality teams, but a well-respected baseball analyst thinks the Detroit Tigers have what it takes to come out on top.

From left, Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene (31), center fielder Parker Meadows (22) and right fielder Wenceel Pérez (46) celebrate 3-0 win over Cleveland Guardians at Game 3 of ALDS at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers have not gotten off to the start they would have hoped for in the 2025 season, as they currently sit in last place in the American League Central with an 0-3 record.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, they got the tough assignment of having to be the first team to take on the World Series favorite Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series and have now taken three straight from Detroit.

But in a 162-game season, an 0-3 start is no cause for concern, especially in a division as wide open as this one. The best record in the AL Central is currently 1-1, which the Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox all possess.

The Tigers are still very much in the mix to be the team that wins this division in the end, and one of the top insiders in all of MLB agrees.

As part of ESPN's 2025 season predictions, Tim Kurkjian tabbed Detroit as his pick to claim the Central crown.

"The AL Central is winnable for any of the four teams that received votes, but my pick is Detroit," Kurkjian wrote. "The Tigers have the best pitcher in the majors, Tarik Skubal, and a Rookie of the Year contender in pitcher Jackson Jobe. They are so unpredictable in their rotation, bullpen and lineup that matching up against them is going to be very difficult for opposing managers."

It's hard to disagree with him. Manager AJ Hinch has brought a competitive, smart brand of baseball to this club, and his ability to remain unpredictable could give the Tigers a leg up.

Detroit has the best rotation in the division now that the Guardians look less like a typical Cleveland pitching staff than ever before, and there's way more upside for the Tigers with guys like Casey Mize and Jobe than there is downside at the top of the group.

Riley Greene is arguably the best left fielder in all of baseball, and his ascension looks poised to continue, as he could possibly break into the MLB picture if he can build upon his All-Star effort from a season ago.

The Tigers are in the midst of a tough schedule to start the season with the Seattle Mariners on the heels of the Dodgers, but we'll know a lot about this group very quickly.

The rest of April features series against the White Sox, Twins and Royals with sets against other AL contenders like the Houston Astros, New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles sprinkled in.