MLB Insider Says Tigers One Piece Away from Potential World Series Title

The Detroit Tigers are scuffling a bit coming out of the All-Star break, but one insider believes they are one piece away from a title.

Apr 5, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Detroit Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera (24) is honored and given a cowboy hat before the game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers are a bit stuck on 60 wins going into Sunday’s finale against the Texas Rangers. But Tarik Skubal is back on the mound.

He’s one of the biggest reasons why the Tigers are one of the best teams in baseball.

He is 10-3 with a 2.23 ERA in 19 starts, with 153 strikeouts and 16 walks in 121 innings. He a stretch of 15 starts in which he was 10-0 with a 1.74 ERA, with 128 strikeouts and nine walks.

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Last year he was incredible as he won his first American League Cy Young. He went 18-4 with a 2.15 ERA in 31 starts, with 228 strikeouts and 35 walks in 192 innings. He won the American League pitching triple crown and was named All-MLB first team.

Skubal went to the All-Star Game and five other teammates went with him — fellow starting pitcher Casey Mize, outfielders Riley Greene and Javier Baez, along with second baseman Gleyber Torres and infielder Zach McKinstry.

Those are just some of the many reasons why MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today remains high on the Tigers being one of the teams to beat as the season enters the final two months.

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In his Sunday notes column, he posed the question — Will we have a new World Series champion? He believes the Tigers may be the team best equipped to end the Los Angeles Dodgers’ one-year reign as champions.

In his estimation, Detroit needs one more thing.

“This is a young talented team that perhaps needs only a swing-and-miss closer to bring Detroit its first World Series title since 1984,” he wrote.

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The good news is that there could be several relievers on the market as the trade deadline approaches on July 31. Among the closers that could be available are Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians, the Tigers’ rival in the AL Central Division.

The Tigers could also look within the division at Minnesota’s Jhoan Duran or Griffin Jax. Outside the division, the candidates could include Felix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles, Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals and David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Detroit could even pursue Kyle Finnegan of the Washington Nationals, who was an All-Star last year and has more than 100 career saves.  

For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.