Tigers’ Casey Mize Off to Incredible Start in Contract Year
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The Detroit Tigers lost their third consecutive game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night, despite arguably the best start of Casey Mize's career. Losing 7-5 after the bullpen collapse, nothing gets taken away for what Mize was able to do to give Detroit the best chance at winning.
Going into his first start of the 2026 campaign, there were some murmurs amongst the fanbase surrounding Mize and whether he would go deep into the game. Those thoughts mostly come from the tough spring training, where Mize held a 6.52 ERA and a 1.759 WHIP.
Luckily for the Tigers, Mize took the mound and took command following the first two innings. The Diamondbacks didn't go down without a fight, just proving that Mize had some of his best stuff on the mound in his first start in a very crucial season for the former number one overall pick.
Mize's Final Line vs D-Backs: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO -- 60/93 pitches were strikes
The Importance of 2026 for Casey Mize
Following 2026, the Tigers are going to need to figure out who will be a part of their pitching rotation for the future. As of right now, Framber Valdez is the only Tiger starting pitcher currently in the starting rotation who is under contract for 2027.
Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Justin Verlander, and Mize will all be free agents at season's end, depending on whether Detroit extends one of them during the 2026 season or not. This marks the first time that Mize enters free agency and his first chance to earn some big dollar figures in his career.
It's tough enough being a former number one overall pick and not exactly living up to the expectations of becoming the ace of the staff, but Mize controls his own destiny. He's a fantastic pitcher when he commands his splitter and gets balls hit on the ground.
He became an All-Star for the first time in 2025 and got to pitch in the postseason as a crucial member of the roster.
There is a ton of value in a pitcher like Casey Mize, and if he pitches as he pitched in his first start throughout 2026, the Tigers would be foolish not to consider him as a long-time member of the Detroit roster.
His next start of the season will be on the road when the Tigers take on the Minnesota Twins on Monday, April 6.
Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.