Detroit Tigers Seeing Playoff Odds Soar With Strong Play To Start Season

The Detroit Tigers are cementing their status as perennial playoff contenders in the American League.

Apr 16, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) is greeted by manager A.J. Hinch after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers had an unprecedented run in the second half of the 2024 season, leading to them earning the No. 2 wild card spot in the American League.

It snapped a nine-year playoff drought, which no one was expecting given their decision to be sellers at the trade deadline and facing a double-digit deficit in the standings over the summer.

Their momentum didn’t stop once the playoffs began, defeating the Houston Astros in the ALWC before losing to the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS. But, they did have a few weaknesses on the roster to address over the winter.

Offense was hard to come by, scoring 21 runs in seven postseason games. Depth in the pitching staff was also needed after Tarik Skubal was the only starter manager A.J. Hinch was relying on most of the second half.

In free agency, the Tigers made a run at Astros star free agent Alex Bregman to fill their void at third base, but he opted to sign with the Boston Red Sox. The only position player they brought in was second baseman Gleyber Torres.

On the pitching front, veteran Alex Cobb was signed early in free agency and the team was able to bring back Jack Flaherty on a team-friendly deal after his market wasn’t as strong as anticipated.

In the bullpen, Tommy Kahnle and John Brebbia were signed to bolster the relief staff.

They were not the biggest names or flashiest additions, which likely contributed to some people underestimating Detroit coming into the 2025 MLB season.

Four out of five of those additions have been stellar, with Cobb being the only miss as he remains on the sidelines with an injury.

Torres, Flaherty, Kahnle and Brebbia have been excellent and when combined with the breakout performances of former No. 1 overall pick, first baseman Spencer Torkelson and starting pitcher Casey Mize, have led to the Tigers' playoff odds skyrocketing over the first few weeks.

Entering the campaign, the team had a playoff odds of 46%, as shared by FanGraphs. Through April 23, those odds have jumped to 72.1%, which represents the largest improvement in the MLB.

With a 15-10 record, they are currently atop the AL Central on the back of more dominant pitching and an offense that is showing legitimate improvements despite having several holes to fill.

Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, is anchoring what has been an excellent staff with Mize, Reese Olson, Jackson Jobe and Flaherty.

The bullpen has gotten the job done as well, as the team has a 2.94 ERA combined, which is the best in baseball.

“Pitching chaos,” the strategy that Hinch deployed last year to eat innings, doesn’t look like it will be needed this year behind Skubal with the staff thriving.

The offense is doing just enough despite Riley Greene not finding his groove yet and Parker Meadows still being on the sidelines. Torkelson has been excellent and Kerry Carpenter is providing pop along with a breakout campaign thus far by Zach McKinstry.

Their lineup has a higher ceiling right now than in 2024 and will keep them right in the thick of the playoff race. They will be seeking out avenues to upgrade at third base and potentially center field eventually as well.