Tigers Among ‘The Virtual Locks’ To Make MLB Postseason in American League

How fast things have changed for the Detroit Tigers in less than a year's time.

Detroit Tigers players celebrates outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy’s walk-off single against Boston Red Sox during the ninth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After the unprecedented run the Detroit Tigers went on in the second half of the 2024 season, there may not have been a team in baseball entering 2025 with as much positive momentum as them.

Despite being sellers at the trade deadline, the Tigers overcame a double-digit deficit in the standings to earn the No. 2 Wild Card spot in the American League.

They defeated the Houston Astros in the ALWC before pushing the Cleveland Guardians to the brink in the ALDS, losing in five games.

Expectations were on the rise in Detroit with the team looking like a perennial playoff contender in the American League.

With clear areas of need on their roster, how they handled the offseason surprised some people. The Tigers were relatiively quiet, with their only Major League additions being second baseman Gleyber Torres, starting pitchers Alex Cobb and Jack Flaherty and relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle.

No one is questioning that strategy now, despite Cobb not throwing a pitch and Flaherty struggling through some early-season woes, with Torres and Kahnle both playing at an incredibly high level.

It's also hard to criticize a winter when the team has turned into a juggernaut.

Detroit has the best record in baseball at 30-15. 

They are producing across the board despite some holes still existing on the roster; the Tigers could really use an upgrade at third base and some outfield depth with so many injuries to the position.

It wouldn’t hurt to add another pitcher to the mix after moving on from Kenta Maeda and with Casey Mize sidelined.

To this point, they have done a great job navigating some of those shortcomings, with Javier Baez’s resurgence providing a massive lift to the lineup.

What Are Detroit Tigers Odds of Making the MLB Playoffs?

There are no signs of the team slowing down, and their hot start has vastly improved their postseason odds.

As shared by Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, Detroit has reached the tier of “The Virtual Locks” in his rankings for the postseason chances of MLB teams.

The Tigers are No. 2, behind only the Dodgers, and it is easy to see why based on the projections of outlets.

Baseball-Reference gives them a 99.7% chance of being in the playoffs. FanGraphs is a strong 88.8% and PECOTA has them at 86.3%.

All three are by far the highest amongst AL teams, which makes sense. Detroit has already opened up a 3.5-game lead in the AL Central and is 5.5 games clear of the first team outside of the playoff picture currently.