The Tigers’ Young Core Is Keeping Them in the Race

Detroit Tigers fans have waited a long time to see their team rise from the ashes of this grueling rebuild and this season could mark the end of that said rebuild. Detroit has leaned fully into the youth movement, calling up multiple prospects in the past month and starting these prospects in big spots for the organization.

So far, it’s working.

Just barely on the outside looking in to the final Wild Card spot and an easy last month of the year, can the Tigers actually get it done?

Since July 29, Scott Harris has called up Dillon Dingler, Jace Jung, Trey Sweeney, Spencer Torkelson and Ty Madden. All of them have had everyday opportunities, including Sweeney who was an acquisition from the Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty deal and has taken over as the club’s full-time shortstop.

Harris has also cut bait with experienced veterans like Gio Urshela to keep these kids on the field. So clearly the organization and staff have the confidence in them but the kids keep proving they can do it.

Since Aug. 3, the Tigers are 21-12 with many different notable moments coming from each of the young kids that have come up.

The Results

To start this streak, the Tigers walked off the Royals in 11 innings after a clutch double from Justyn Henry-Malloy in the 10th to tie the game, a triple by Parker Meadows and an ensuing walk off single from Wenceel Perez.

10 days later, the Tigers put a rout on the Mariners with a score of 15-1 off the back of a returning Kerry Carpenter multi-home run performance. They went on to sweep the Mariners with two heroic performances again. One from Carpenter with his third home run in two days and a game-tying one to set up the Tigers to walk it off in 10. The other big swing came from that bat of Javier Baez that put them ahead in the 8th and had them bring out the brooms.

Then you had the Little League Classic against the Yankees, where the Tigers were down one with their last out up to the plate in the ninth and Jung drove in Colt Keith to tie the game. After a Yankee run in the 10th and a Zach McKinstry single in the bottom half, Meadows knocked McKinstry in to walk it off, yet again and successfully take two of three from the Bronx Bombers.

After a sweep of the White Sox in the Southside and a pair of series wins against the Angels and Red Sox at home, the Tigers stared down the Padres in San Diego this week. After a tough offensive showing in the first game and a failed comeback loss in the second, game three looked bleak after being blanked for 8 innings by Martin Perez and the Padres bullpen.

The Tigers young core would have to score four runs against the Padres’ always dangerous closer Robert Suarez. The ninth started with a Malloy single followed by a Jung walk and a Keith walk before Parker Meadows came up with the bases loaded. Two outs, 3-2 count, 101 MPH out of the hand of Suarez and 98.2 off the bat of Meadows, the Tigers lead on an epic grand slam. An ensuing door slam from Tyler Holton gave Detroit the win and kept them alive. The pinnacle of this race.

The Situation

As of right now, the Tigers are just three games back of the third and final Wild Card spot. Three games can be a tall task at this time of year, but the schedule says they could make a run for it.

Detroit’s remaining Strength Of Schedule (SOS) is ranked 29th in the league, facing teams like the White Sox, Rockies and Athletics for a trio of three-game series. The Royals are ranked 10th in SOS with both teams meeting in Kansas City on Sept. 16 for three games. That series could be the decider between which team is in and which team is watching from the golf course. On top of that, the Royals have had a tough go of it recently, losing six of their last 10. If that trend keeps up, the Tigers could see an opening.

Speaking of struggles, the Twins are also having a hard time staying afloat. The club is just 3-7 in their last 10 and are quickly losing their grip on the third WC spot. The Tigers are right there and can easily strike if they’re able to keep playing this brand of baseball.

Tigers Reinforcements Are on the Way

Reese Olson and Perez has just started his rehab assignment in Toledo and Casey Mize has just come back from the IL. More stability is coming to the rotation, which has seen them go to more bullpen games than actual starter. Behind ace Tarik Skubal, the Tigers have looked at Keider Montero, Madden, Holton and many more pitchers to start games for them. So getting Mize and Olson back would be huge for both the team and the overuse of the bullpen. Perez would give them even more flexibility in the lineup or as a bench bat.

Only time will tell for this team and their fate. No matter what, the stocks are rising for the team off of Woodward Avenue, just like their neighboring cats in the football world right across the street.