Tigers Magic Number to Win AL Central Gets Huge Boost Entering September

The Detroit Tigers enter September with a magic number of 16 to claim their first AL Central title in more than a decade.

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) high fives second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) after he hit a home run against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers want to reach the playoffs for the second straight year and winning the American League Central for the first time since 2014.

Entering September, the Tigers (80-58) received a significant boost in both endeavors after beating the Kansas City Royals, 5-0, at Kauffman Stadium. Detroit now has 24 games remaining and the runway to clinch that playoff berth and division title just got a little shorter.

Detroit’s AL Central Magic Number

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The Tigers now have a magic number of 16, which is a combination of Detroit wins and Kansas City losses, as the Royals are the second-place teams in the division. With each Tigers win, or Royals loss, the number is cut by one. In this case, since the Tigers beat the Royals, the number was reduced by two.

Sunday’s game was the last head-to-head game between the Tigers and the Royals. Detroit is back home starting on Monday with a three-game series against the New York Mets, followed by a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers have six more games against division rival Cleveland, though the Guardians are a game behind the Royals for third place in the AL Central.

Detroit will likely clinch a playoff berth before it clinches the AL Central. Last season the Tigers didn’t clinch their Wild Card berth until the final week of the season, which led to beating the Houston Astros in the Wild Card series, followed by a five-game loss to the Guardians in the AL Division Series.

The Tigers are competing with Toronto to claim the top record in the American League. That would come with home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Tigers have a half-game lead over the Blue Jays after Sunday’s action.

The Tigers have not won a division title since 2014, which was the last of a four-season run in which they dominated the division. In that span they went to the World Series in 2012 and reached the ALCS on two other occasions. The Tigers have not won a World Series title since their legendary 1984 team.

Detroit Tigers Magic Number Watch

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Magic Number to Clinch AL Central Title: 16

Detroit Tigers Games Remaining: 24

Detroit Tigers Remaining Schedule: Sept. 1-3, vs. New York Mets; Sept. 5-7, vs. Chicago White Sox; Sept. 9-11, at New York Yankees; Sept. 12-14, at Miami; Sept. 16-18, vs. Cleveland; Sept. 19-21, vs. Atlanta; Sept. 23-25 at Cleveland; Sept. 26-28, at Boston.

AL Central Race (after Aug. 31)

Detroit Tigers: 80-58 (lead division)

Kansas City Royals: 70-67 (9.5 games back)

Cleveland Guardians: 68-67 (10.5 games back)

Kansas City Royals Remaining Schedule (25 games): Sept. 2-4, vs. Los Angeles Angels; Sept. 5-7, vs. Minnesota; Sept. 8-11, at Cleveland; Sept. 12-14, at Philadelphia; Sept. 16-18, vs. Seattle; Sept. 19-21, vs. Toronto; Sept. 23-25, at Los Angeles Angels; Sept. 26-28, at Athletics.

Cleveland Guardians Remaining Schedule (27 games): Sept. 1-3, at Boston; Sept. 8-11, vs. Kansas City; Sept. 12-14, vs. Chicago White Sox; Sept. 16-18, at Detroit; Sept. 19-21, vs. Minnesota (four games in three days); Sept. 23-25, vs. Detroit; Sept. 26-28, vs. Texas.