Tigers Selected for National TV Games as Part of Friday Night MLB Package
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The Detroit Tigers were the hottest team in baseball for the first half of 2025, marching their way to the top of the AL Central, the American League as a whole, and at one point obtaining the best record in the entire MLB.
The Tigers have the chance to run back their success in 2026 with some familiar faces and some new ones, and if they can get off to the start they did last season, sub the second season collapse, Detroit should be right back into the mix of the playoffs.
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Luckily for the Tigers and their fans, their franchise will be on full display to the world in the first half of the season, having been named to headline three Friday Night Baseball games presented by Apple TV, as revealed by Major League Baseball on X (formerly Twitter) on March 11.
Here are the games that the Tigers will play on Apple TV:
Game 1: Tigers vs Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park - April 17
The Tigers' first Friday Night Baseball appearance will be on the road, as they take on the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. This will be the first time these two franchises meet since both clinched a spot in the playoffs last season in late Sept.
Boston and Detroit have a history with one another and typically produce good baseball on the field. With both looking to land the victory for their first appearance on Apple TV, this should be a game to mark on the calendar.
Game 2: Tigers vs Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park - May 15
The Toronto Blue Jays will head into Detroit to take on the Tigers in their first, the Tigers' second, Friday Night Baseball game of the 2026 campaign. The Tigers have played the Blue Jays well at home in their last few matchups, including a walk-off home run from Matt Vierling in a 2024 thriller.
Matt Vierling's second homer of the game is a three-run #walkoff blast! #MLBSundayLeadoff pic.twitter.com/VLDTMc502Q
— MLB (@MLB) May 26, 2024
This will be good to see if the Tigers can hang with the reigning American League champions as they look to get back to the playoffs themselves.
Game 3: Tigers vs Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park - May 22
This should be a fun matchup between the Tigers and the Orioles, as Baltimore looks to get the train back on track after a tough 2025 campaign. Detroit played the Orioles well last season, taking five of six games all season long.
Tigers sluggers Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter will have to show up ready to play this Baltimore squad come late May.
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.