Extend Struggles of Tigers Bullpen Could Spell Doom for Franchise in Postseason
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Despite having a comfortable lead in the American League Central, the Detroit Tigers have run into some problems of late.
Since the start of the second half of the season, the Tigers have been playing some mediocre baseball at best. Losing eight of nine games after the All-Star break figured to be a significant wake-up call for the team after what was a fantastic first half.
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While they have performed better since that terrible start, there are some looming concerns for the team.
At the trade deadline, Detroit was in a prime position to make some upgrades that would have helped re-establish them as the team to beat in the AL. Now, the team has multiple teams in both the East and West that appear capable of beating them, which should have been alarming at the deadline.
Like most teams, injuries have been an issue for the Tigers. The starting rotation is down multiple starters, which forced them to add a couple of veteran depth pieces to help fill the void.
In terms of the lineup, this was a unit that perhaps overachieved a bit in the first half and has come back to earth.
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However, the real issue for the Tigers has been in their bullpen. Since June 1, the team ranks No. 27 in the Majors in bullpen ERA. This is a terrible stat for the team that relied heavily on this unit in 2024.
Since June 1, the #Tigers' bullpen ranks 27th with a 5.03 ERA.
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) August 7, 2025
Qualified relievers in that stretch:
Brenan Hanifee: 2.92
Brant Hurter: 3.42
Tyler Holton: 3.76
Will Vest: 3.80
Chase Lee: 5.87
Tommy Kahnle: 9.15
The Tigers optioned Hanifee to Triple-A after the trade deadline. https://t.co/rHCkVcctdX
As shown, there aren’t too many pitchers that have been performing well in Detroit, and the person with the best ERA on that list was recently sent down to Triple-A.
At the trade deadline, there were a lot of good relief pitchers that were dealt. For the Tigers, seeing pitchers like Jhoan Duran and Ryan Helsley getting dealt and ending up with Kyle Finnegan certainly feels like they didn’t do enough to improve in that area.
Who Has Been the Main Culprit?
Of the pitchers that have struggled for the team, it is very concerning to see Tommy Kahnle with an ERA of almost 10.00. The veteran right-hander got off to a strong start to the campaign with the Tigers and was somewhat of their closer early on.
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Kahnle has a ton of playoff experience with the New York Yankees and is figured to be a significant part of the bullpen.
With about two months left in the regular season, Detroit is going to have to get this bullpen back on track. If things don’t improve, it will be an early exit in October for the Tigers.
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Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.