Tigers Organization Should Be Concerned With Latest Power Rankings
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There are a few organizations this offseason who have made large improvements to their roster, but the Detroit Tigers have not been one of them. They require a bat, but now there are none left on the market, and with spring training right around the corner, that is concerning.
MLB insider Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report just came out with his latest power rankings. With the clock rapidly winding down on this year's offseason, the Tigers came in at a whopping No.15. With the best pitcher in the game, a pair of Silver Slugger Award winners, and a Gold Glove winner from 2025, they should not be trending backwards.
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"The big move of the offseason for the Tigers came in November when Gleyber Torres accepted his one-year, $22.05 million qualifying offer, and while they were once again tied to some big bats, no outside additions have been made to the projected lineup," stated Reuter.
After a historic demise in the middle of this summer, one would think upgrades would definitely be needed for Detroit. The ballclub bounced back from losing the division to make it into the ALDS, but were once again sent home.
The Tigers are running out of time to make any additions to their roster, so it seems likely that they will be counting on some help from their farm system, specifically Kevin McGonigle. Their offense was not a strong point last season by any means, and everyone is going to have to step up, or they will face the same fate in 2026.
A Need For Offensive Impact
Both Riley Greene and Zach McKinstry won their first ever-Silver Slugger Awards in 2025, but it simply wasn't enough to get Detroit back in a battle for the pennant. While their regular season was impressive, their postseason performance was the opposite.
By the end of their wild-card series as well as the ALDS, Greene was hitting .212 with an on-base percentage of .257. He never found his groove and struck out nine times in eight games. McKinstry, on the other hand, struggled even worse.
Their utility man batted a .172 with an OPS of only .445. Unfortunately, none of the Tigers ever got going at the plate as only two batted over .235. It is worrisome that no veteran bat was added to the lineup.
So, it could be McGonigle that they are counting on to take to the majors as well as he has the minors.Since the first minors game that he played back in in 2023 to his final Double-A he has suited up in 183 games where he has batted .308/.410./.512 to bring his OPS well over .900. His 2025 Arizona Fall League performance was even more impressive.
Kevin McGonigle, @MLBPipeline’s No. 2 overall prospect, hit a MAMMOTH homer last night on a 100.2 MPH pitch 😳 pic.twitter.com/XWt25nAy3g
— MLB (@MLB) August 20, 2025
The up-and-coming star earned MVP honors after hitting .362 in 19 games during the AFL which complemented a 1.210 OPS led by a .710 slugging percentage.
It appears that AJ Hinch is counting on his players to step up this year and prove everyone wrong with their sluggish offseason moves. Only time will tell, but if they want their division crown back, it will have to come at the plate.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.