What We’re Actually Learning About Detroit Tigers Pitching Staff So Far
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It had been a near-silent offseason for the Detroit Tigers until the last measly two weeks, when the organization decided to separate itself in the division with two key additions to their starting rotation. The 2026 pitching staff will now feature both Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander.
With both Valdez and Verlander joining the roster nearly seconds before spring training commenced (or so it seemed), the starting rotation is still not concrete. Few things in life, and baseball, are for certain, but luckily, the Tigers have one aspect to their pitching staff that feels like a near guarantee: Tarik Skubal.
Barring injury, there is nobody else who is going to throw the first pitch of Detroit's season other than the reigning back-to-back Cy Young Award winner. However, there are definitely some questions regarding their starters, and as time goes on, they will quickly be answered.
The bullpen, on the other hand, is full of familiar faces; some will just be taking on a slightly different role, like Will Vest, who was heavily relied on in their previous season. The relief staff has shaped up quite nicely and will be tough to beat in the American League, which will be key to a deep postseason run.
Likely Starting Rotation
It would be the breaking story of the century if Skubal didn't take the mound in five weeks for their 2026 opener, so let's just call their No.1 starter in the rotation a closed case. So, where do the others lie?
1: Skubal
2/3: Flaherty or Valdez
4/5: Verlander or Mize
It seems clear that this will likely be a rather strong five-man rotation, but it has yet to be determined where the others lie. After paying Valdez more than Skubal this season, he will probably start as his No.2 with Flaherty dead in the middle.
Jack Flaherty’s tenure with Detroit:
— DataBase Hit (@DatabaseHit) August 1, 2024
106.2 IP
2.95 ERA
0.96 WHIP
11.22 K/9
2.58 xFIP
2.5 fWAR
Thank you, Jack. #RepDetroit pic.twitter.com/LpeMt76jhP
The final piece is where it gets interesting, as Mize actually finished the year with more wins than Skubal (14) and a better ERA than Flaherty. Best guess is Verlander is going to be the final arm, but it wouldn't be surprising to see any of these positions flip-flop.
Key Relief Options
The three pitchers that are of utmost importance to their pen are Vest, Kyle Finnegan, and Kenley Jansen.
Vest was a primary reliever in 2025, trailing only Tyler Holton in innings pitched while posting a nearly sub-3.00 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 68.2 innings. But with Finnegan being on the roster the entire season and Jansen joining the ballclub, it seems likely he will move back into a set-up role.
The Tigers’ pitching staff is starting to look game-day ready and could ultimately be the highlight of their 2025 season. With a handful of Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove, that will be quite impressive, but now they have depth all-around and are ready to fight for a pennant.
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.