Plenty of Tork

 It's weird. Cause you go in with the idea that you're gonna have two #1 overall picks and they're gonna lead you to a dynasty, and that's not exactly what's happened with the Tigers. It's been a whole team effort, and Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize have been among many players to contribute. Not every perennial competitor can be 'Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper and the team that was built around them' or 'Jackson Holliday and Adley Rutschman and the team they inherited'. Sometimes it's just a really good pitcher, a great power hitter, and that's not all.

Here's the main reason why the Tigers are already better than they were in 2024. Last year, you might recall, the Tigers were a magic hat team. You can trace their success down to Parker Meadows' promotion midyear, and everything stemmed from him surging and the team following. This year they didn't need a magic hat, they were great from the very beginning. Skubal, Greene, Torres, Torkelson and Baez have all been consistent presences in the action this year, and they've all made this team what they are. Tarik Skubal is probably getting another Cy Young this year. Riley Greene might get some MVP votes. Javier Baez might be Comeback Player of the Year. And Spencer Torkelson, after years of being marginally okay, is finally a reliable everyday player, looking at a 30 homer year and currently posting a .794 OPS. Torkelson is above average both at the plate and at first, and he's finally come into his own at 25. 

Even some worrying developments, like the potential injury to Kyle Finnegan, the statistical downturns of both Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack, and the fact that three different guys have been closer at different points this year, aren't worrying me because the hitting game is so deep. Even beyond the heroes there's guys like Wenceel Perez or Colt Keith or Dillon Dingler who can be reliable. Only the Brewers really have that back half confidence right now.

The good news is that even after losing two to the Mets, the Tigers won today's, and get to play the White Sox the rest of the week. Yes, the Yankees are just beyond that, and this could be a preview of a playoff matchup, but the Tigers get to conserve some energy and bat around the Sox for a bit, which is always fun. I still think the Tigers could go deep and surprise some people, but the flaws are there in the open, and it could be another year away still.

Coming Tomorrow- A powerful DH for a team that, once again, is having trouble taking advantage of a golden opportunity.