Detroit Tigers

A late-season surge has catapulted the Detroit Tigers into the postseason for the first time in 10 years.

The Tigers clinched an AL wild-card berth after Friday's win over the Chicago White Sox.

THESE GRITTY TIGS ARE POSTSEASON BOUND! pic.twitter.com/hPvLuHFlnO

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 28, 2024

Detroit looked to be on track for another lost season as recently as July, prompting the front office to go into sell mode at the trade deadline. They dealt Jack Flaherty, Carson Kelly, Mark Canha and Andrew Chafin in a series of a moves.

Instead of going into the tank after that, the Tigers responded by winning 24 of their last 32 games since Aug. 23 to make their first appearance in the playoffs since 2014.

Here's a look at the current playoff matchups and bracket if the season ended today as well as up-to-date standings.

Projected MLB Playoff Bracket

• AL Wild Card Series: No. 3 Houston Astros vs. No. 6 Kansas City Royals; No. 4 Baltimore Orioles vs. No. 5 Detroit Tigers
• NL Wild Card Series: No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks; No. 4 San Diego Padres vs. No. 5 New York Mets
• First-Round Byes: No. 1 New York Yankees and No. 2 Cleveland Guardians (American League); No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers and No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies (National League)

MLB Standings

AL East

1. New York Yankees (93-66); clinched division and first-round bye
2. Baltimore Orioles (88-71, 5 GB); clinched playoff berth
3. Boston Red Sox (80-79, 13 GB) 
4. Tampa Bay Rays (78-81, 15 GB) 
5. Toronto Blue Jays (74-85, 19 GB)

AL Central

1. Cleveland Guardians (92-67); clinched division and first-round bye
2. Detroit Tigers (86-74, 6.5 GB; clinched playoff berth 
3. Kansas City Royals (85-75, 7.5 GB) 
4. Minnesota Twins (82-77, 10 GB) 
5. Chicago White Sox (39-121, 53.5 GB)

AL West

1. Houston Astros (86-73); clinched division
2. Seattle Mariners (82-77, 4 GB) 
3. Texas Rangers (75-84, 11 GB) 
4. Oakland Athletics (69-90, 17 GB) 
5. Los Angeles Angels (63-96, 23 GB)

AL Wild Card

1. Baltimore Orioles (88-71); clinched wild card
2. Detroit Tigers (86-74); clinched wild card
3. Kansas City Royals (85-74)
4. Minnesota Twins (82-77, 3 GB)
5. Seattle Mariners (82-77, 3 GB)

NL East

1. Philadelphia Phillies (94-66); clinched division and first-round bye
2. New York Mets (87-70, 5.5 GB) 
3. Atlanta Braves (87-71, 6 GB) 
4. Washington Nationals (69-90, 25 GB) 
5. Miami Marlins (59-100, 35 GB)

NL Central

1. Milwaukee Brewers (91-68); clinched division 
2. Chicago Cubs (82-78, 9.5 GB) 
3. St. Louis Cardinals (81-78, 10 GB) 
4. Cincinnati Reds (76-84, 15.5 GB) 
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (74-85, 17 GB)

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (95-64); clinched division and first-round bye
2. San Diego Padres (91-68, 4 GB); clinched playoff berth
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (88-71, 4 GB) 
4. San Francisco Giants (79-80, 16 GB) 
5. Colorado Rockies (61-98, 34 GB)

NL Wild Card

1. San Diego Padres (91-68, +3 Games); clinched wild card
2. New York Mets (87-70) 
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (88-71)
4. Atlanta Braves (86-71, 1 GB)

The Tigers seemed like an afterthought in the AL yet again. They were nine games under .500 as recently as July 4 (39-48) and 9.5 games out of a wild-card spot after losing their fifth straight game on Aug. 2.

Since Aug. 3, however, the Tigers have been on an absolute heater. They have had five winning streaks of at least four games, with series wins over the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles (twice) and Kansas City Royals.

While it took awhile for most of the Tigers to get going, Tarik Skubal has been their constant all season. The 27-year-old, who was mentioned as a potential candidate to be dealt ahead of the trade deadline, is the AL Cy Young frontrunner with a 2.39 ERA and MLB-high 228 strikeouts in 192 innings over 31 starts.

The Tigers aren't going to win games if they get into a slugfest. Even if you isolate their performance to the second half of the season, they rank 20th in runs scored and 24th in weighted on-base average since the All-Star break.

But having the best pitcher in the AL to start Game 1 of a wild-card series gives the Tigers a leg up on most of the teams they will face. Their opponent is still to be determined based on the results of this weekend's games.

The Tigers will likely face either the Orioles or Houston Astros, but there is a slim chance they could move all the way up to the No. 4 seed and host Orioles or Kansas City Royals in the best-of-three series.

As the Detroit Tigers gear up for their series against the Tampa Bay Rays that starts on Tuesday, they injected some youth into their pitching staff.

The Tigers announced on Monday that right-handed pitching prospect Jackson Jobe will be promoted to their major-league roster for the upcoming series. Jobe is ranked as the No. 1 pitching prospect and No. 6 overall prospect by MLB.com.

Jobe is joining the hunt.

The Tigers will select the contract of RHP Jackson Jobe to the Major League roster prior to the upcoming series against Tampa Bay. pic.twitter.com/REDkpIYIV7

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 23, 2024

Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reported that Jobe will pitch out of the bullpen when he makes his MLB debut. Right-hander Shelby Miller will be designated for assignment as the corresponding move to make room for Jobe on the 40-man roster.

The Tigers selected Jobe out of high school with the third overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft. He had originally committed to play college baseball at Ole Miss before opting to pursue a professional career.

During the 2024 season, Jobe has played in High-A (three starts), Double-A (16 starts) and Triple-A (two starts). He has a combined record of 5-3 with a 2.36 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP and 96 strikeouts against just 45 walks across 91.2 innings pitched. He held opposing hitters to a batting average of .178.

Entering this season, CBS Sports prospect expert R.J. Anderson ranked Jobe as Detroit's No. 2 overall prospect behind second baseman Colt Keith, who has played 142 games this year.

"Jobe's arsenal is full of above-average or better pitches, including a fastball that jets into the upper-90s, two breaking balls, and an excellent changeup for someone this young and inexperienced," Anderson wrote at the time. Concerns about Jobe's durability and command (his elbow rides up to the shoulder line) kept him from ranking higher, but there's front-of-the-rotation potential here if both improve."

At 82-74, the Tigers are clinging to the third and final wild-card spot in the American League. Detroit is certainly hoping that adding Jobe will help clinch a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2014.

The Detroit Tigers would reportedly "get a haul in return" for starting pitcher Tarik Skubal should they trade him.

"Skubal would be a game-changer for so many teams," a National League executive told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. "I'm not sure why the Tigers would trade him, but if they do, they're going to get a haul in return."

The 27-year-old Skubal is 11-3 with a 2.34 ERA (0.92 WHIP) over 20 starts, striking out 146 batters over 123 innings.

He's undisputedly one of MLB's best starting pitchers this season and under team control through the 2026 season, so it's no surprise that Skubal would have plenty of interest from other teams.

Of course, there's also the question of why Detroit would want to trade him. The 50-52 Tigers are unlikely to make the playoffs sitting six-and-a-half games behind in the American League wild card picture, but there's two-plus months left in the season and the team certainly isn't out of it yet.

Also, Detroit's future appears bright on paper. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranked the Tigers' farm system ninth in the bigs, and MLB.com has four Tiger prospects in its top 63, including outfielder Max Clark at No. 10 and right-handed pitcher Jackson Jobe at No. 11. A future with Skubal as the team's backbone and ace looks likes a bright one.

On the flip side, if Skubal would return a "haul," then Detroit should at least consider offers and see if there's one they can't refuse. The Tigers aren't in position to be contending for a World Series right now even with Skubal fronting the rotation, so perhaps there's a desperate team out there willing to sell the farm for the ace.

As for the chances that he leaves, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported on July 21 that "it's a longshot that Skubal will be traded."

However, he also added that the "Tigers are listening, and have told teams they will move him only if they are overwhelmed by an offer." In addition, Detroit is reportedly "engaged in talks" with both the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Baltimore and L.A. are both fighting for a World Series, so maybe one of them flinches and gives Detroit that overwhelming offer. But at the moment, it seems more likely than not that Skubal stays in town past the July 30 trade deadline.

The Detroit Tigers are reportedly not expected to trade ace starting pitcher Tarik Skubal prior to the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

According to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, the Tigers figure to make starting pitcher Jack Flaherty available, but it "seems unlikely" they will move Skubal while he is still under team control for 2.5 more years.

Gonzalez's report came on the heels of Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci reporting this week that the Los Angeles Dodgers were interested in putting a trade package together for Skubal.

A source told Verducci it was "doubtful" the Tigers would trade Skubal, but added, "Everything has a price."

The 27-year-old Skubal is in the midst of his fifth MLB season, and he is enjoying a career year, which resulted in his first All-Star selection.

Skubal is among the leading candidates for the American League Cy Young Award by virtue of his 10-3 record, 2.41 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 140 strikeouts over 116 innings.

The lefty missed the first half of the 2023 season after undergoing flexor tendon surgery, but he was similarly dominant when he pitched, going 7-3 with a 2.80 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 102 strikeouts over 80.1 innings.

Many picked the Tigers as a sleeper team to win the AL Central entering the 2024 campaign, but they haven't lived up to those expectations, posting a 48-50 record, which has them fourth in the division, 12 games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians.

Detroit isn't completely out of the playoff mix, as it trails the Boston Red Sox by six games for the final wild-card spot, but it faces an uphill climb.

That means the Tigers very well could be sellers ahead of the deadline, but since they aren't necessarily far off from being playoff contenders, keeping Skubal for next season would be a sensible move.

As for the Dodgers, they have the second-best record in the National League at 57-41 and lead the NL West by seven games, but injuries have taken a toll on their starting rotation.

Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw and Michael Grove are all on the injured list, while Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Emmet Sheehan are out for the season.

While Kershaw is on a rehab assignment and could join the Major League team soon, the rotation is so injury-riddled that manager Dave Roberts is leaning on the likes of Gavin Stone, James Paxton and Landon Knack as his top starters currently.

Skubal would be a massive addition to the rotation, but assuming they can't make it happen, Gonzalez listed Flaherty, Erick Fedde of the Chicago White Sox, Zach Eflin of the Tampa Bay Rays and Yusei Kikuchi of the Toronto Blue Jays as starters who could potentially be had by the Dodgers via trade.

The Detroit Tigers announced Tuesday they placed shortstop Javier Báez on the 10-day injured list because of lumbar spine inflammation.

His stint on the IL is retroactive to Sunday.

Detroit also recalled infielder Ryan Kreidler from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move.

Báez has been fairly durable for much of his career and appeared in 136 or more games every season since 2016 outside of the shortened 2020 campaign, when he appeared in 59 of 60 contests.

This is his third season with the Tigers after spending the first seven-plus years of his career on the Chicago Cubs until they traded him to the New York Mets in 2021.

His resume includes a World Series crown, Silver Slugger award, Gold Glove and two All-Star selections from his time on the Cubs, although he has struggled to find consistency in Detroit and is slashing .183/.209/.247 with one home run and 25 RBI in 53 games this season.

Look for the Tigers to turn toward Zach McKinstry and Kreidler to help cover for Báez in the infield following this setback.

The Detroit Tigers' scoreboard operator trolled New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a trivia game on Sunday, noting his zero completed passes last year to Detroit Lions' special teams ace Jalen Reeves-Maybin's one.

Brad Galli, the sports director at WXYZ Detroit, relayed the image.

Ruthless video board game at Comerica Park pic.twitter.com/WrTbmFsjdf

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) June 9, 2024

Rodgers only played four snaps before suffering a torn Achilles that ended his 2023 season. Reeves-Maybin, an All-Pro, completed a pass on a fake punt against the Dallas Cowboys.

Dialed up some Saturday night trickery!#DETvsDAL |📺 ABC/ESPN pic.twitter.com/rskaocMnwU

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 31, 2023

The Rodgers/Meeves-Raybin image dropped during the Tigers' 10-2 home win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Comerica Park on Sunday afternoon.

Rodgers starred for the Green Bay Packers as their QB1 from 2008-2022. He fared quite well against the Lions, going 18-8 while throwing for 6,551 yards, 54 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. So there might just be a touch of animosity there against the Lions' old NFC North adversary.

Rodgers has moved on now, of course, and so have the Lions, who thrived last year in going 12-5 and making the NFC Championship Game.

As for the happenings on the field, Detroit and the Jets aren't playing this year unless they meet in the Super Bowl. Their next scheduled matchup will take place in 2026.

The Detroit Tigers became the latest MLB franchise to unveil their City Connect uniforms Monday.

We got next. #MotorCity pic.twitter.com/vhKEHgWeGw

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 6, 2024

The Tigers City Connect uniforms are HERE 👀

Welcome to the Motor City 💪 pic.twitter.com/d56wC4zkhO

— MLB (@MLB) May 6, 2024

Eminem in the new Tigers City Connect jersey 👀

(via @tigers) pic.twitter.com/aSIjRqHlDi

— MLB (@MLB) May 6, 2024

The uniforms will make their debut Friday against the Houston Astros.

"The City Connect uniforms represent Detroit's unique combination of muscle and innovation and pay homage to the city that put the world on wheels," Ilitch Sports + Entertainment president/CEO Ryan Gustafson said in a press release. "From the tire treads to the VIN tag to the M-1 patch on the sleeve, there are unique features on the uniforms, caps and batting helmets we feel Tigers fans and Detroiters will appreciate. Above all, the uniforms are symbolic of the revitalization and exciting future ahead for the Tigers and our great city."

The Tigers are the 24th MLB team to have City Connect jerseys since their introduction. By the end of the 2024 season, the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics will be the only two teams without City Connect uniforms.

The Tigers' uniforms are designed to pay homage to Detroit's rich history as an automotive power. The jersey's design is meant to conjure images of a tire tread, and the jersey also features a racing stripe on both sleeves.

If that wasn't enough evidence of the vibe they were going for, the words "Motor City" are adorned across the chest. The jerseys are, in many ways, similar to the Motor City uniforms worn by the Detroit Pistons in the past.

The Tigers are set to wear their City Connect uniforms every Friday home game for the rest of this season.

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had a harrowing experience on Opening Day.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday's game between the Tigers and Chicago White Sox, Hinch revealed he was almost hit by a car when he ran onto the field before the first pitch for Thursday's opener.

A.J. Hinch was nearly hit by a car on Thursday as he dashed from the dugout onto the field during the White Sox pregame ceremony.

"That was a close one. They have priority. Clearly. I'll let the cars pass next time."

— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) March 30, 2024

There doesn't seem to be any video evidence to see how close Hinch came to the car.

As part of the pregame festivities at Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox brought some of their players onto the field in a car. Hinch evidently nearly got clipped by one on his way to home plate for the exchange of lineup cards.

Even though that was probably not the way Hinch wanted to start the season, things got better for him when the game started. Tarik Skubal tossed six shutout innings, allowing three hits with six strikeouts in a 1-0 win for the Tigers.

The victory marked the first time the Tigers have been over .500 since the first game of the 2022 season when they also defeated the White Sox.

Coming out of Friday's off day, the Tigers will send Kenta Maeda to the mound against Michael Soroka for the White Sox. A win will give Detroit its first 2-0 start to a season since 2021.

Gio Urshela is going to play for his fourth different team in the past four seasons after agreeing to a deal with the Detroit Tigers.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Urshela will sign a one-year, $1.5 million contract. Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network added the deal includes incentives.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported earlier this month that the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Miami Marlins were among the teams with interest in the infielder.

Urshela spent last season with the Los Angeles Angels. He was only on the field for 62 games before suffering a season-ending pelvic fracture against the Texas Rangers on June 15 when he fell awkwardly trying to beat out a grounder.

Prior to the injury, Urshela was on pace to have his worst offensive season since 2018. He hit .299/.329/.374 in 214 at-bats.

Originally signed by the Cleveland Guardians as an international free agent in 2008, Urshela made his big-league debut seven years later.

After struggling to carve out an MLB role during his time in Cleveland, Urshela was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2018 season. He struggled there and was moved again later the same season, this time to the Yankees.

The 2019 season was a breakout year for Urshela. He hit .314/.355/.534 with 21 homers and 74 RBI in 132 games. The Colombia native carried that performance over to the shortened 2020 season with a .298/.368/.490 slash line in 43 games.

Following a down season in 2021, the Yankees sent Urshela to the Minnesota Twins in the Josh Donaldson trade. He had a strong bounce-back year with a .285/.338/.429 slash line in 501 at-bats.

Urshela was a top-30 player in the American League by FanGraphs' wins above replacement from 2019 to '22. The Angels acquired him from the Twins hoping he could provide stability for their infield, especially because of his ability to play multiple positions.

The injury took away any chance that Urshela had to prove he could do that for the Angels. The Tigers are betting on a rebound year for the 32-year-old. It's not a bad bet given the low cost it took to sign him.

Urshela could move into the starting lineup for the Tigers when the regular season begins. Zach McKinstry was penciled as their Opening Day third baseman, but he's a .221/.288/.365 hitter in 269 career games.

There was very little difference between Urshela and McKinstry by FanGraphs' defensive value metric last season, though Urshela did have a 6-0 advantage in defensive runs saved.

This isn't the most exciting addition for a Tigers team that's trying to take a step forward this season after winning 78 games in 2023, but Urshela gives them much-needed infield depth to take advantage of one month away from Opening Day.

The Detroit Tigers are investing early on the potential returns of prospect infielder Colt Keith.

The team announced that it had signed Keith to a six-year contract extension through the 2029 MLB season with club options for the 2030, 2031 and 2032 seasons.

Sign of things to come. ✍️

We have signed INF Colt Keith to a six-year contract extension that runs through the 2029 season, followed by club options for the 2030, 2031, and 2032 seasons. pic.twitter.com/RzuJTadkvd

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) January 28, 2024

The 22-year-old Keith has yet to appear in the Majors but has risen as high as Triple-A. He is set to make $2.5 million and the extension likely signals a spot on the opening day roster for the infielder.

Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way, go Tigers!!! 🐅🙏🏻 https://t.co/ttP9FzaaYz

— Colten Keith (@coltkeith3) January 28, 2024

The Tigers' deal with Colt Keith includes his six years of team control, plus three team option years (2030, 2031 and 2032).

He will make $2.5 million in 2024. To state the obvious, this would seem to make it all but certain that he will be the Opening Day roster.

— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) January 28, 2024

The #Tigers have just signed Colt Keith to a six-year, $28.6M extension that runs through 2029, with club options through 2032, in case you wondered what they think of him.

— Tony Paul | Detroit News (@TonyPaul1984) January 28, 2024

The Colt Keith contract extension will be worth $82 million over nine years if all options are escalated and exercised. #Tigers https://t.co/dSAZwu8xv9

— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) January 28, 2024

He is set to make $3.5 million in 2025, $4 million in 2026 and 2027 and $5 million in 2028 and 2029, per Evan Woodbery of MLive.

Keith was a fifth-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft and is listed as the Tigers No. 2 prospect. He expressed his appreciation for the Tigers organization and his desire to help the team reach new heights.

"I couldn't be more excited to reach this agreement, securing my place in this organization for years to come," Keith said, per MLB.com. "Since being drafted in 2020, all the coaches and staff have been invaluable in helping me and my teammates grow on and off the field. There's a reason I felt strongly about making a long-term commitment to be here, and being surrounded by incredibly talented teammates and coaches is a big part of that. I'd also like to thank my family, fiancé, agent, and friends for their tireless support throughout my life and career. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today. I know this is a big accomplishment, but ultimately my mission is to be the best player possible and help win a World Series Championship for Tigers fans everywhere."

He is rated as the No. 25 overall prospect in MLB and could slot in as the Tigers second baseman in 2024. He hit .306 with 27 home runs and 101 RBIs across the AA and AAA levels in 2023.

He is set to be among the next wave of talent that reaches the Major League level for the Tigers and can help the franchise emerge from the bottom American League. He will join former No. 1 picks Casey Mize and Spencer Torkelson on the roster and will likely be followed in the near future by star prospects Max Clark, Jackson Jobe and Jace Jung.

The Tigers went 78-84 and finished in second place in the AL Central in 2023. It was the second season with more than 75 wins in the last three years for Detroit, but still fell well short of the playoffs. The Tigers have not reached the postseason since 2014 and have not had a record above .500 since 2016.