The Biggest Thing Separating the Detroit Tigers From MLB Remaining Contenders
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There isn't really enough time in the day or space on a page to truly explain how disappointing this season was for the Detroit Tigers, who entered 2026 with realistic expectations of winning the American League Pennant, only to go on to finish 10 games under .500.
Baseball is a team game, and yes, there were definitely a position player or tw who didn't live up to their names, but it is impossible to ignore the biggest weakness on this roster: the bullpen.
Somehow, though, it wasn't an overall bad performance. There aren't many eyesores on the stat sheet, but they just didn't have anybody to hand the ball to with the game on the line, which is lowlighted by 29 blown saves. 29.
Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how good a team's offense or starting rotation is when the manager has no one he can put on the bump and believe will win games, which is far from the case for the remaining playoff teams.
Tigers bullpen has struggled greatly in pressure situations... pic.twitter.com/b1HAnMQCbi
— Tigers Data (@TigersData) August 21, 2026
The Milwaukee Brewers have a commanding 2-0 lead in the NLCS over the Los Angeles Dodgers, and what stands out is their relievers: four of them have pitched a combined 22.2 innings without allowing a single run.
For the AL side of things, the Cleveland Guardians are rolling as they have won four straight to come back from a 0-2 deficit in the ALDS and steal game one of the ALCS. Similar to the Brewers, the Guardians have four relievers who have covered 19 innings and allowed only one run during that stretch.
There is no sugarcoating how horrendous the Tigers' pen was this year, baffling, honestly. If the front office does not improve upon it in the coming months with multiple additions, they will face the same fate next time around and once again miss the postseason.
High-Leverage Free Agents the Tigers Need To Pursue This Offseason
Ultimately, it was quite a shame that Detroit wasted one of the greatest rookie seasons ever, as Kevin McGonigle was a first-time All-Star and never shied away from a challenge. However, he is locked down long-term, and there is no need to repeat this gut punch.
The first name that jumps off the page as to who will be available when the World Series ends is the New York Yankees' closer, David Bednar. Bednar logged 35 saves this season and finished with a 2.37 ERA while posting a career ERA of 1.00 in the postseason.
Then, there is veteran Steven Okert, who just finished up one of the best years of his career with the Houston Astros, as he finished with a 2.13 ERA and 21 holds in 68 games.
There will be available arms that need to join the bullpen as the greatest teams out there have multiple high-leverage guys to call upon, and that was never the case for the Tigers in 2026.
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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.