Veteran Starting Pitcher Could Be X-Factor for Tigers This Season
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The Detroit Tigers are getting set for the start of the regular season, and hope will be high that 2026 is going to be the year they can finally get over the hump.
In 2024, the Tigers shocked everyone in baseball by making the playoffs after a fantastic run at the end of the season and then dethroning the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card round.
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That victory created new expectations for the team in 2025, and they were looking like the best team in baseball early on. However, a historic collapse in the second half of the year down the stretch resulted in the Cleveland Guardians actually winning a division that Detroit had a 10-game lead in for most of the campaign.
Coming into 2026, expectations are a bit more tempered for the Tigers. The uncertainty surrounding the future of Tarik Skubal is a dark cloud over the franchise right now and trading him at some point is certainly on the table. However, as long as he is on the team, they have a chance to do some special things. In order to accomplish that, he is going to need some help.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about a potential x-factor for the Tigers rotation being veteran Drew Anderson.
Taking a Chance on Drew Anderson Could Pay Off
Detroit likely didn’t have the offseason that many were hoping for with a lack of major splashes. For the last two winters, they have been a team in need of adding some help for their lineup, and both offseasons, they have missed on that goal.
Furthermore, even though they have Skubal at the top of the rotation, there have been issues with the rest of the unit over the last two years. The Tigers have tried to address this but have mostly come up short.
This winter, they went a little outside the box with the signing of Anderson, who pitched well the last two years in the KBO league in Japan. During that span, he totaled a 2.91 ERA and struck out 403 batters in 287 innings pitched. The strikeout numbers are certainly impressive for him, and it will be interesting to see if that transfers over.
While Anderson is an unknown heading into the year, he very well could be in the starting rotation on Opening Day. Even though another external option makes sense for the team, they might want to give the 31-year-old a chance to prove himself.
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Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.