FanGraphs Projections Have Tigers Infield Star Continuing Success in 2026

The Detroit Tigers continue to build a competitive roster, and at the forefront of the offense is a veteran middle infielder coming off an outstanding year.

Apr 1, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A wide view from high up behind home plate as Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (48) pitches to Cleveland Indians second baseman Cesar Hernandez (7) during the fifth inning on Opening Day at Comerica Park. | Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers are continuing to build a highly impressive roster, and heading into 2026, they certainly have some work left to do, but there is a good core.

One of the more critical elements of this will be whether or not Tarik Skubal is retained by the franchise, and if not, what they are able to get back in a potential trade. Obviously, keeping him around would be worth a ton more, but that will be their call to make at the end of the day.

On the offensive side of things, middle infielder Gleyber Torres absolutely took off in 2025, having his best season since 2022, and showcasing why the Tigers brought him in during the winter. Now, heading into year two of his Detroit stint, he has set himself a high bar to reach to maintain that level of play, but he should be able to build even further if the team puts some more talent around him.

FanGraphs recently put out their projections for the 2026 season, including their Steamer model, which predicts metrics for each player they believe will make their respective MLB rosters next year. For Torres, they expect another elite season as he leads the Tigers in many key categories.

What Do the FanGraphs Projections Look Like for Torres in 2026?

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According to the predictive model put out by FanGraphs, Torres is set for another outstanding season in 2026. They have him playing in 142 games, slashing .260/.346/.406 with 80 runs, 66 RBI, 18 home runs, five stolen bases, 2.9 fWAR, a 122 wRC+, 11.2% walk rate and 17.0% strikeout rate. When compared against his 2025 numbers, this is an increase in batting average, SLG, runs, home runs, stolen bases, fWAR, wRC+ and strikeout rate.

Gleyber Torres blasts the second @Tigers home run of the inning! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/wLd5L1HVrK

— MLB (@MLB) May 2, 2025

The only decreases they have him seeing are OBP, RBI and walk rate, all of which clearly do not impact his overall production as his fWAR remains right in the same range. While it is not a distinct, vast improvement, it is maintaining the level of production that got him an All-Star nod, which is plenty.

Getting a little bit more power out of his bat with the increased home run number is certainly nice, as is the improved strikeout rate, which is already quite good on its own. In a vacuum, this season would certainly spell another deep postseason run for Detroit; it would all just come down to the players surrounding him and how they hold up.