Tigers Are Finally Becoming Team Everyone Expected Before Opening Day
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It's safe to say the Detroit Tigers didn't get off to the best of starts in 2026, which had many fans worried for what was to come as the season continued. Reaching the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, there is a new standard to this ballclub, and fans expect them to understand that as well.
After sweeping both the Miami Marlins and Kansas City Royals out of Comerica Park in Detroit on their last homestand and taking the next two games after a crushing 1-0 extra innings loss to the Boston Red Sox, this Tigers team is starting to live up to those expectations.
Tigers Are Winners of 8 in Their Last 9
Now sitting at 12-10 on the season, Detroit is one of two teams above the .500 mark in the AL Central division, trailing by a half game to their biggest rivals, the Cleveland Guardians. The Tigers haven't gotten out of the early rut by luck either. It's been due to dominant pitching and clutch hitting.
Just like last season, when the Tigers score first in a game, they tend to maintain their lead for the rest of the game. On Saturday, they took the lead in the first inning thanks to a double by Dillon Dingler off the Green Monster at Fenway Park.
As a result, Detroit has become one of the top offensive teams in Major League Baseball this season when they score in the first inning. Tigers PR on X (formerly Twitter) revealed that Detroit ranks first in OBP (.396), second in AVG (.307), sixth in BB% (12.9), and seventh in OPS (.839).
Dingler has continued to be the spark plug for the offense as he's blossoming into one of the best catchers in the MLB today. Kevin McGonigle looks like the team's future, Riley Greene is starting to heat up at the plate along with Kerry Carpenter, and Javier Baez is a strong nine-hole hitter.
So long as Detroit keeps playing the way they have as the summer rolls around, this could be the team that gets the AL Central division crown for the first time since 2014, something many believed they would achieve last year before a huge drop-off.
While most hitters have gotten off to strong starts, there are still some the franchise is waiting to come around. On top of that, the bullpen had looked shaky to start the campaign but has seemed to settle in, with occasional blips here and there.
But that's why baseball's regular season isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.
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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.