Why the Tigers Are Viewed as One of MLB’s Most Improved Teams
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The last two seasons have been some of the more fun seasons for the Detroit Tigers and their fan base in recent memory. Constructing a team that has gone to back-to-back postseasons, the 2026 team looks to win the AL Central division for the first time since 2014.
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Detroit had a quiet offseason to begin, with many fans and onlookers assuming they were going to stay put with the team they had last season. But right as spring training got underway, they added two veteran pitchers in Framber Valdez and homegrown hero Justin Verlander to solidify a strong offseason.
On top of the acquisitions of Valdez and Verlander, the Tigers also brought back second baseman Gleyber Torres on a one-year deal, re-signed relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan to a two-year deal, and added a veteran bat in the form of Austin Slater. All in all, the Tigers are a team to watch in 2026.
How the Tigers Are One of MLB’s Most Improved Teams for 2026
According to MLB.com's Mike Petriello, the Tigers are the sixth-best improved team this offseason across all of Major League Baseball. Projected for an increase of 5.9 WAR as a collective unit, Detroit could be on the cusp of winning 90+ games for the first time since 2014.
Last season, AJ Hinch and company led this franchise to 87 wins, but with how they began the season in 2025, they dropped the ball considerably. The Tigers were the best team in baseball in the first half, but their second-half woes almost eliminated them from the playoffs entirely.
The biggest standout as to why Detroit is viewed as a top-improving team is by what it's been able to do with its pitching staff. Led by back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in the rotation and Kenley Jansen in the backend of the bullpen, if the Tigers have a lead in the later innings, it feels like they'll be tough to front a comeback against.
In a weak American League Central Division, this is the season where the Tigers can pounce on their opponents and become a dominant force in the league.
If the franchise marches into the ALCS for the first time since 2013, perhaps it would be enough for the franchise to try and keep Skubal after all, if not convince him to stay.
While adding veterans to the roster is beneficial, the young players need to showcase themselves as true MLB hitters consistently for the first time if it means proving to the world they're World Series contenders.
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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.