There is no Tarik Skubal to fear this time, but the Toronto Blue Jays are well aware that the Detroit Tigers have grown into something far more dangerous than just one ace.
When the Tigers roll into Rogers Centre this weekend, they will be without the American League’s best pitcher, yet they remain one of baseball’s hottest teams. With a 66-40 record since late July 2024, Detroit trails only the Dodgers and Padres across all of Major League Baseball in that span.
Also read: Yankees bolster pitching staff with veteran left-hander Ryan YarbroughThe Tigers, now leading the AL Central, are arriving in Toronto not just with momentum but with a re-energized lineup and a strategy that is working to perfection.“They’re playing really well, man. They’re a good team,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday, May 15. “They’re well run… I think we’re playing well, too.”
Young Tigers bite back: a core growing up fastDetroit’s rise is not fueled by blockbuster trades or flashy free agent splashes, but by internal development and surprise revivals. While Skubal, Riley Greene, and Kerry Carpenter form the team’s established core, new energy has come from emerging rookies like Jackson Jobe, Dillon Dingler, and Trey Sweeney.Jobe, the third overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, is only 22 years old but already showcasing a high-octane fastball averaging 96.3 mph. Although command has been a concern, he walked five in his last outing but his ceiling is evident.He’ll take the mound in Sunday’s finale against Toronto, potentially throwing to Dingler, the young catcher holding the fort while Jake Rogers recovers from an oblique strain. Dingler has posted a .730 OPS through 32 games, showing poise well beyond his years.Sweeney, acquired in the trade that sent Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers, has also stepped up with a .720 OPS, pushing veteran Javier Baez out of his longtime shortstop role.
Veteran revival: Baez and Torkelson lead turnaround
Instead of resisting the change, Baez has flourished. The 32-year-old has found new life in center field and at the plate, sporting an .842 OPS and a 1.9 WAR through 35 games, his best performance since 2021.Whether that level of production is sustainable remains to be seen, especially considering Baez continues to chase pitches more than 96 per cent of his MLB peers. But his defensive versatility and timing have made a clear difference, particularly with Parker Meadows sidelined by a nerve issue.
On the other side of the diamond, former top overall pick Spencer Torkelson has delivered a career-best offensive stretch. Back from a frustrating 2024 season that saw him demoted to the minors, Torkelson’s quality of contact has dramatically improved. With 11 home runs and surging underlying metrics, his rebound appears real.
Greene and Carpenter, both left-handed hitters, are close behind him in home run totals, giving the Tigers a balanced offensive threat.
Smart platoons and deceptive depth drive AL central surge
Add in the savvy addition of Gleyber Torres, who brings an .812 OPS and five home runs, and the Tigers lineup suddenly becomes one of the most complete in the majors. Detroit’s mastery of platoon matchups is evident in how Andy Ibanez and Justin-Henry Malloy are used against lefties, while Colt Keith and Carpenter target right-handed pitching.The results speak for themselves. The Tigers currently rank third in team offense with a 116 wRC+, signaling this is a complete team, not just a streak.As Schneider joked, “I hope they got all their wins out of the way before they got here.”Whether or not that’s the case, the Toronto Blue Jays will need to be at their sharpest this weekend. Because even without Skubal, the Detroit Tigers are very much for real.
