The Playbook: Detroit baseball, from the bottom to the middle
September 4, 2021
Detroit baseball in 2021 has seen recent improvements from their 2020 season and many seasons before. The Detroit Tigers have seen positive additions to the team. Whether it is base running, offense coaching or changes to their pitching roster, the Tigers have seen more success this year than years prior.
In the beginning of August, the Tigers stand third with a record in the Central American League (AL Central). In their 2020 season, they finished last in their league with the third worst record in the Major League Baseball (MLB)
The Tigers have also managed to pick up some new starting pitchers: Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, Casey Mize and Julio Teherán. Casey Mize sticks out among the new pitchers with his 3.41 Earned Run Average (ERA)and his 6-5 record. When compared to other pitchers, this stands out.
Another aspect of Tigers baseball that has improved this year is their base running. Tigers coaching has been focused on getting their players to run the bases smarter and more aggressively. This strategy has worked great for the team and earned them more runs as a whole because of it.
As for their playoff chances, it would be a miracle if they made it. Their only chance to enter post-season play would be through the wild card race. If the team wants to do that, they have to hurdle over five other teams in the league to get there.