Detroit Tigers' Expected Starting Pitchers vs. Angels After the All-Star Break
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The Detroit Tigers will start the second half of the 2026 season Friday night, taking on the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels have not played well this season, so for Detroit to set the tone, they have to go in and take the series against Los Angeles to counteract what happened to them earlier this season.
Back in May, near the end of the month, the Angels took two of three against the Tigers at Comerica Park, forcing Detroit into a 22-35 record following the series. Since their last meeting, the Tigers have played strong baseball, holding a 22-14 record since the beginning of June.
With the fifth-easiest remaining schedule, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck, the Tigers have a lot riding on the first series of the second half of the season. The starting pitching before the All-Star break was solid, and Detroit's going to need more of that moving forward.
Here are the projected starting pitchers set to take on the Angels this weekend.
Game 1 - Troy Melton
What better way for the Tigers to start the second half of the season than by sending one of their best young pitchers, Troy Melton, to the mound? Melton has been lights-out for the franchise and is growing in popularity around the fanbase and even around the league.
Melton enters the second half with a 1.82 ERA across 49.1 innings of work. Staying calm on the mound has turned into his superpower, and the Tigers have benefited more often than not. Melton looks to continue his success into the latter half of the season, potentially helping the fight back to a playoff spot.
Game 2 - Tarik Skubal
Following Melton will be the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner, Tarik Skubal. If there were a series on paper that should go to the Tigers based on the first two starting pitchers alone, it would be this one.
The Angels are going to have their hands full with Skubal on the mound, as he's pitching potentially in his final days as a member of the Tigers organization. With increasing trade debates, depending on how well Detroit plays, Skubal could still very well be dealt at the deadline regardless of playoff positioning.
Game 3 - Casey Mize
To close out the first series of the second half, Casey Mize is projected to take the ball. Mize has been terrific this season for Detroit, and as they continue to climb back into the playoff hunt, the discussions on a potential Casey Mize trade have seemed to go quiet.
Mize is in a contract season, remember, so it's still possible teams could be interested, but for right now, Detroit needs him to continue to do as he did in the first half, minus the injuries. Mize enters the second half of the season with a 2.79 ERA, holding a 3.65 ERA in two starts in July across 12.1 innings.
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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.