Tigers Ace Casey Mize is Pitching Himself into Massive Contract This Offseason

The Detroit Tigers will have a tough call to make this winter.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize | Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers went into the season with legitimate concern about their pitching staff after spring training results were murky at best in the starting rotation overall, but really for one right-hander in particular.

After getting rocked in several games, Casey Mize wound up posting a 6.52 ERA and 1.76 WHIP across 19.1 innings with a record of 0-3 across all of spring. As they have so many times before though, those results have proved they needed to be taken with a grain of salt.

Mize has come in to start the year and absolutely dominated, and his last three starts in particular have been absolutely incredible to post perhaps the best three-game run of his entire MLB career so far.

Of course this is great news for Detroit's hopes of championship contention this year, but in the last year of team control on Mize's contract, it might not be great news if the team wants to retain him long term.

Mize Performing Brilliantly in Contract Year for Tigers

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

After another six innings with three hits and one run allowed in Wednesday's victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, Mize now has a 0.98 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP, allowing an opposing batting average of just .188 and striking out 19 with five walks with a 2-0 record.

Overall on the season, it's a 2.51 ERA and 1.151 WHIP for Mize with a 1.2 bWAR already through his first five starts. Given the kinds of things people were saying in the spring, this is tremendous for the Detroit pitching staff.

At the age of 28, Mize is due to hit free agency this offseason for the first time in his career and is performing his best at the perfect time. Should he continue to have this kind of production, it seems more likely than not Detroit would let him walk.

Tigers Have Massive Offseason Pitching Questions to Answer

Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Detroit's offseason was always going to be an interesting one in terms of impending free agents and naturally that conversation has revolved around Tarik Skubal.

Mize is proving though that it's not just Skubal they have to think about with more than half the rotation set to hit the open market between him, Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Justin Verlander as well not under contract for 2027.

Should Mize be able to establish some consistency and stay healthy all year, he is going to be due for likely a nine-figure payday of his own. Whether that's with the Tigers or not remains to be seen, but it's a story worth monitoring the rest of the season.