Tigers' Offense Seeing Staggering Increase in Critical Offensive Category
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Hope was beginning to dwindle for the Detroit Tigers as they stumbled to a 6-22 record in May. Injuries, blown saves, and inconsistent offense were the themes of a poor month. Somehow, the turn of a new month has produced much better results on the field.
The Tigers are eyeing their third consecutive series win heading into Wednesday after a 10-4 victory on Tuesday over the Minnesota Twins. Detroit will be receiving major reinforcements for the pitching staff as well, with Tarik Skubal, Justin Verlander, and Casey Mize nearing a return.
However, the offense has improved in a big way over the past 10 days. There are a couple of numbers that back up that notion.
Tigers' OPS Has Increased a Lot in June
Detroit had the worst team OPS (.596) in May. They had the third most strikeouts (253) for the month, and failed to capitalize with runners in scoring position. In June, their OPS has increased to .926, good for second best in baseball. That is a remarkable turnaround.
Per Tigers Data on X, the six Tigers hitters with the most plate appearances in June have all improved their OPS. Dillon Dingler (1.438), Riley Greene (1.170), and Kerry Carpenter (1.019) lead the team so far this month.
That leads to more run production. Detroit's offense has scored more runs (47) this month than it did in the final 18 games of May (46). They flexed the power in Tuesday's victory as Dingler, Greene, and Carpenter all left the yard.
How the Tigers Can Sustain This Momentum
The return of Gleyber Torres and Carpenter has certainly elevated this lineup. Torres has excelled in the leadoff spot, hitting 8-for-25 since returning from the injured list. Detroit has to maintain the same level of confidence in order to keep playing at a high level.
There will certainly be bumps in the road. The offense will have its ups and downs. But this offense has a lot of talent, and as long as they continue to believe that, there is a lot of potential with this team.
Dingler, Carpenter, and Greene make for a formidable trio in the middle of the lineup. Dingler and Greene are putting together All-Star level seasons.
However, the return of their top pitchers will aid the offense. Skubal gives Detroit a chance to win every time he takes the mound. The offense just needs to give him a little bit of run support.
Baseball can change a team's outlook in the blink of an eye, and the Tigers' 2026 outlook is looking better each day.
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Zion Trammell graduated from TCU in 2023 with a degree in sports broadcasting and journalism. He currently writes for TCU Horned Frogs on SI. In addition to writing, he is the play-by-play voice for Southlake Carroll baseball and hosts a TCU show on the Bleav Network. X: @zion_trammell