Newly Acquired Tigers Pitcher Has Bought Into 'Team First' Mentality

This is a great sign for the Detroit Tigers going forward.

Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

For the Detroit Tigers, the season has been a revelation. Success was expected internally in the ballclub, but the team has turned what was believed to be one of the closest division races before the year into the widest gap in the MLB.

Now at 78-54, laying claim to the best record in the American League with a two-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays, the Tigers have gotten their success from the unselfish, team-first attitude riddled across every player on the roster.

No one has seen that mentality shift better than the newly acquired pitcher from the trade deadline, Chris Paddack, who spoke about it after his most recent start.

Trusting The Team

Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

When Paddack was traded to the Tigers from the Twins on July 28 as part of the club's deadline acquisitions to bolster their pitching depth as they continued their push for the No. 1 seed in the American League, he expected to come in and be a difference maker for his new team. However, in his latest outing, he got a taste of the team first mentality in this clubhouse.

This past Saturday, Paddack went through five innings where he allowed just one earned run. It was looking to be one of his best appearances of the month of August so far. But manager A.J. Hinch took him out of the game, handing the ball over to the Detroit's bullpen, which has been one of the best in the MLB following the trade deadline.

"He's a genius at what he does. It's one of the first conversations that I had when I got traded over here - How important communication is to him," Paddack said following his star. "We're always going to have our opinions of when we should be taken out of the game, when we shouldn't. That's just us being competitors."

#Tigers manager A.J. Hinch pulled Chris Paddack after 62 pitches in five innings of one-run ball.

Here's Paddack on Hinch's decision: pic.twitter.com/ukMYdf3M4M

— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) August 24, 2025

The adjustment is typically toughest on a pitcher when he's traded. He has to establish a new connection with his catcher to understand what they like to throw and what counts. For Paddack, though, this seems to be a broader understanding of working together as a unit for one goal rather than focusing on how successful his performance was.

"The reality is, we have bigger goals here as a team, and that's to get into October. I took a couple of deep breaths, patted him on the shoulder. I respect his decision and it paid off."

Paddack and the Tigers have bought into this mentality, which has led them to this point: owning the best record in the American League with a month left in the regular season. On the cusp of their second playoff appearance in the last 10 years, Detroit has been rewarded for selflessness and perhaps could seek an even secure the game's bigggest prize in October.