April marks the first full month of Major League Baseball. This is always an exciting time for passionate fans in Detroit, but even more so this year. Why? The Detroit Tigers are off to an amazing start, as they currently sit at the top of the American League with an 18-10 record as the season is over a month underway.
Following the shocking but magical playoff run that the “Gritty Tigs” went on last season, there was a lot of uncertainty that surrounded the future of the team after a lackluster offseason in terms of making acquisitions. The Tigers reportedly pushed very hard to bring superstar Alex Bregman to Detroit. The main signings that President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris made during the offseason were pitchers Jack Flaherty and Tommy Kahnle, as well as second baseman Gleyber Torres.
The Tigers had a rough Spring Training, as they finished the stretch before the season with a lackluster record of 12-15. Spring Training is where everyone gets the first look at the team, and where players get to set themselves apart from the others in their efforts to make the big league club. Fans were very concerned about the team after Spring Training, as some players just struggled to make good contact with the ball.
Kicking off the regular season in Los Angeles, these struggles were seen. Although they were up against a tough Dodgers team, who are the reigning World Series champions, the Tigers dropped all three games of the opening series of the season. The team then traveled to Seattle to take on a struggling Mariners team, and took two out of three games to earn their first series win of the season.
The Tigers made their long-awaited season debut at Comerica Park in front of a sold-out crowd against the Chicago White Sox. This series is really when things began to click for the Tigers. From this point, the Tigers have since gone 16-6, and are the early frontrunners to be the champions of the American League Central division. This recent success can be attributed to various players and strategies.
A main story of the season so far is the rejuvenation of former highly rated prospect Spencer Torkelson. He has had a rocky career so far, but looks to be finally finding his way. Torkelson was the first overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft and has struggled at the major league level, especially last season at the plate. His poor performance had him demoted to the Toledo Mud Hens in the minor leagues. He has now returned to the Tigers and already has eight home runs on the season.
The other thing that has set the Tigers apart from other teams is their pitching staff. The Tigers very well may have one of the best pitching rotations in the MLB. Tarik Skubal continues to perform at a high level after winning the Cy Young Award for the best pitcher in the American League last season. Former first overall pick Casey Mize has also put together quite a few great outings. Not to mention, the Tigers have also gotten great performances out of Jack Flaherty, Reese Olson, and rookie Jackson Jobe.
If the Tigers want to make a real push at a division championship, the players need to continue to grind as the season is not even a quarter of the way complete so far.
