Detroit Tigers Are Being Held Back by One Position From Truly Breaking Out

The Detroit Tigers have one glaring hole in their lineup that is holding them back from going to that next level.

Apr 12, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Kerry Carpenter (30) center fielder Riley Greene (31) and right fielder Zach McKinstry (39) celebrate after defeating the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. | Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers positive momentum in the second half of the 2024 season has carried over into the 2025 campaign.

Their unprecedented run after the trade deadline, overcoming a double-digit deficit in the standings despite being sellers, was incredible to watch unfold. A young, scrappy team gaining confidence on the fly was a lot of fun.

This offseason, there were opportunities to upgrade the roster and take advantage of the earned playoff berth.

The Tigers made a run at third baseman Alex Bregman, but he decided to sign with the Boston Red Sox instead.

It was a tough blow as the team knew that offensive production was their biggest need. The lineup lacked pop, but the only addition that was made to the Major League roster was second baseman Gleyber Torres.

A two-time All-Star, he brings some power to the mix. But, second base was far from a need with Colt Keith already manning that spot.

He moved to first base as a result of the Torres addition, which moved Spencer Torkelson out of the lineup. It must have motivated him to take his game to another gear, as he has been arguably the team’s best hitter during the season to this point.

His ascension has been big to help get the offense over the hump, especially because there are several spots in the lineup struggling mightily.

Amongst them is center field, which has been a barren wasteland of production through the first 16 games of the season.

Injuries have decimated the outfield depth.

The starter, Parker Meadows, his backup Matt Vierling and the next in line, Wenceel Perez, are all on the injured list. As is Manuel Margot, who was expected to fill a role off the bench behind all of them.

Unfortunately for Detriot, they are going to have to continue weathering the storm as there aren’t any clear-cut in-house options.

Their top prospect, Max Clark, has gotten off to a hot start in the minor leagues but isn’t close to ready for a prominent role with the Major League squad. It is hard to envision their American League Central rivals, the Chicago White Sox or Minnesota Twins, gifting the Tigers a center fielder via trade without charging them top-of-the-market prices.

Right now, Ryan Kreidler, Riley Greene and Javier Baez have logged all of the innings in center field.

That will likely be the case moving forward, with the hope that Kreidler’s increase in swing speed will translate to production and Baez keeps up his strong start.

It hasn't stopped Detroit from moving up the power rankings shared by The Athletic (subscription required), moving into the top 10 for the first time, taking over at No. 9.