Biggest Mistake Tigers Can't Repeat in Second Half of the Season
In this story:
Detroit Tigers baseball is almost back, Tigers fans, as the franchise travels to Los Angeles to take on the Angels to kick off the second half of the season. A ton is riding on the second half, as Detroit currently doesn't hold a playoff spot and has underperformed from its projection at the beginning of the year.
As the trade deadline approaches, the front office faces a challenging decision regarding Tarik Skubal. The Tigers must focus on their performance on the field rather than the surrounding drama. The best way to get into the playoffs right now is by winning games.
Detroit has played well since June following their horrid May (6-22); however, one major issue has continuously lingered, impacting the Tigers' overall record and confidence. Going into the second half, the Tigers have one major mistake that impacted the first half that they can't replicate in the second.
The Blown Bullpen Woes
The biggest setback, other than an inconsistent offense, has been the bullpen. Detroit went into the season with high expectations for the backend of the bullpen, signing veteran Kenley Jansen, retaining Kyle Finnegan, and 2025 saves leader Will Vest, but those expectations have flopped.
According to Screwball.com, the Tigers have blown 20 saves this season compared to earning 18. Their 20 blown saves rank second-worst in Major League Baseball and worst in the American League.
The blown saves and the losses in one-run games have brought the Tigers' record to 44-52, but if things had gone their way, based on how they've played, the franchise holds an expected record of 51-45, which would put them 0.5 games out of first place in the AL Central division.
The starting pitching has been on fire as of late, so much so that if Detroit decides to trade Skubal, the rotation would still be in a good spot, depth-wise. Getting the bullpen to hold down the fort as they did in 2025 in the second half of the season would make the playoff chase that much more interesting.
The Tigers have a record of 9-16 in one-run games this season, according to Screwball.com. In 2025, however, they had a record of 21-12 in one-run games, which played a significant role in their success that year.
There is still time for the Tigers to improve their bullpen's performance, but to avoid close games and blown saves, the offense will need to do everything possible to minimize those situations. But all that pressure can't fall onto Riley Greene, Dillon Dingler, and Kevin McGonigle's hands; the whole crew needs to step up.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.