It's Time the Rest of MLB Took Notice of Tigers Starter Troy Melton
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The Detroit Tigers have been in the spotlight throughout Major League Baseball with the trade deadline approaching, especially because many fans are eager to see what the franchise will do with their ace, Tarik Skubal. While Skubal earns most of the attention, the rest of the Tigers' starting rotation has been performing exceptionally well.
One of the biggest contributors as of late, and really, for the entire 2026 season, has been Troy Melton. Melton began the season on the injured list, but since taking the mound for the first time, he's been lights out, looking like a player who had a full spring training to gear up.
Melton dazzled again in front of Detroit on Wednesday night, leading the Tigers to their fourth straight win and pushing their overall record from June 1 to 20-12, ranking best in the American League. His final line score is below.
5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 Ks (career high, as seen below)
91 pitches, 62 strikes (68.1% strike rate)
It's Time the League Takes Notice
The MLB has promoted its young talents extremely well over the last few seasons. The biggest superstar on the mound in 2026 has been Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers, as the flamethrower has delivered wins for Milwaukee, but Melton deserves his flowers, too.
Sure, Melton might not throw over 100 mph like Misiorowski, but he's been nearly untouchable in his last few starts. Over his last 11.2 innings pitched, Melton has allowed six hits, 0 earned runs, two walks and has struck out 16. His 2026 ERA is 1.82, which would rank second in the MLB if he had enough qualified innings, behind Misiorowski.
As the Tigers continue to wrestle with their path at the trade deadline, Melton is making their job increasingly more difficult. The pitching staff with Skubal included is lights out, yet even if you remove the best pitcher in baseball (should they trade him), the pitching staff still holds its own.
Troy Melton, K'ing the Side in the 5th.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 9, 2026
9Ks thru 5 pic.twitter.com/QlWsmBvzZ7
If Skubal does, in fact, get traded this season, Melton is making a case to become the franchise's next top starter. His career ERA is 2.41 in 89.2 innings, which is a small sample size, but he has only gotten better from year one to year two.
Just as Skubal rose to stardom back in late 2023 and all of 2024, Melton has the same potential to steal the hearts of the Motor City. If all goes well this season, Detroit should find a way to extend Melton now before his asking price increases with how well he's pitching.
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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.