Did Detroit Tigers Upgrade Roster Enough to Contend for MLB Playoffs?
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The Detroit Tigers went on a special run in the second half of the 2024 season, overcoming a double-digit deficit in the standings to land the No. 2 wild card spot in the American League.
After winning their AL Wild Card matchup against the Houston Astros before being defeated in the AL Division series by the Cleveland Guardians, many people were excited to see what they would do during the offseason.
With a talented emerging core, the time seemed right for the Tigers to make a splash or two in free agency to help push the team forward, ensuring their run wasn’t a flash in the pan.
Alas, that big addition to the lineup never came.
It wasn’t for a lack of effort since Detroit was in the Alex Bregman sweepstakes right until the end when he decided to sign a deal with the Boston Red Sox. The only addition made to the lineup otherwise was second baseman Gleyber Torres with Colt Keith moving over to first base.
The Tigers missed out on an opportunity to capitalize on the positive momentum that was built, which has worsened their outlook in 2025 in the opinion of Will Leitch of MLB.com.
“The Tigers missed out on opportunities to add substantially to their exciting young core,” he wrote, which could lead to them missing the postseason this year.
Leitch shared a bold prediction for every division in baseball for the upcoming campaign. The bad news for Detroit is that his prediction for the AL Central is that only one team is going to make the playoffs this time around.
That would be a huge letdown for at least two franchises, as the Kansas City Royals were the third AL Central postseason qualifier in 2024.
His prediction probably isn’t too far off because other teams in the league have made major improvements.
The entire AL East looks like potential playoff teams. The Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners are going to be vying for the AL West title and wild card spots and the Astros cannot be written off either.
In the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox are projected to struggle again, but will they be historically poor after losing 121 games last year? Even the slightest improvement from them will cut into the 30-9 record the Tigers, Royals and Guardians compiled against them.
Luckily for Detroit, none of their division rivals look like powerhouse teams currently. Cleveland’s roster took a step back and Kansas City could be in for some slight regression to the mean.
Don’t forget about the Minnesota Twins as well, who are projected by some outlets as the favorites in the division currently.
The Tigers are going to have their work cut out for them in 2025 and might regret not being a little more aggressive to improve their floor heading into the campaign.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.