After failing to make the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season and finishing with a 78-84 record last year, pre-season projections have the Detroit Tigers ending up in 3rd place in the American League Central division. While the Minnesota Twins may be favored to win the division, don’t count the Tigers out just yet.
There is an old saying that “nothing changes if nothing changes” and after losing future Hall of Famer, Miguel Cabrera, to retirement along with the injury-prone management headache, otherwise known as Spencer Turnbull, the Tigers needed a big change.
2024 Detroit Tigers O/U: Why Tigers Will Hit The OVER
Making Key Moves In The Off-Season
After making several critical moves in the off-season, these 2024 Tigers don’t look or feel like the same team. It’s entirely possible that this season’s lineup could assume the role of spoiler and disrupt their projected outcome. With recently acquired veteran talent, new coaches at virtually every position, and the emerging strength of their young farm club, the Tigers might very well be the surprise of the AL Central division.
Bet On The Veterans
The Tigers front office sent a message with the recent signing of veteran talent intended to shore up both their outfield and pitching staff. The acquisition of veteran outfielder, Mark Canha, from the Milwaukee Brewers and new starting pitchers, Kenta Maeda (Minnesota Twins) and Jack Flaherty (Baltimore Orioles) should set the tone in the locker room with their leadership experience and wisdom. In addition, both of these pitchers likely have a passionate desire to prove themselves and are hungry to regain their winning ways in this new environment.
Following his 2022 Tommy John surgery, Maeda managed a respectable return to the Twins last season and boasted a 4.23 ERA over 20 games, but Flaherty has not been as successful. Once considered one of the best young pitchers in the National League during his time with the St. Louis Cardinals, Flaherty struggled through injuries with lackluster results. But after working in the off-season with the Tigers coaching staff, Flaherty made some key strategic adjustments to his pitching form and is now poised to remind fans why he was once a contender for the Cy Young Award.
Strong Relief Pitching
One of the few highlights in the 2023 season was the left-handed pitching of reliever Tyler Holton. With the recent addition of relievers Shelby Miller and Andrew Chafin this season, the Tigers bullpen looks much stronger than in previous seasons. Joining Alex Lange as the Tiger’s standout closer will be Beau Brieske, Jason Foley, and Will Vest.
Coaching Changes
Another factor that could lead to success for the Tigers this year has been the addition of several new coaches. While Chris Fetter‘s pitching staff remains unchanged, there were numerous other changes across the board. The Tigers organization is very excited to welcome Joey Cora as their third base and infield coach. Anthony Iopoce has taken over as first base coach and Ryan Sienko was promoted from his role in player development to coach behind home plate. Lance Zawadski joins the team as an assistant hitting coach, and Drew Heithoff has been named as the team’s Performance Coach, focusing on player strength and conditioning.
The Tigers Management
Another reason the Tigers may become the surprise team of the 2024 season is President of Baseball Operations, Scott Harris. After taking over for Al Avila in September of 2022, Harris has proved to be a breath of fresh air in the Tigers front office. In addition to bringing the right coaching staff on board, Detroit’s front office understands the importance of taking a long-range view to develop a farm system. This could just be the year that the Tiger’s homegrown talent makes a big difference. One of the key components of a winning season is keeping players off the injured list. The hiring of Drew Heithoff and prioritizing player health and safety is critical to the success of the team. Having a front office that understands the needs of the players could just be the missing ingredient for a successful winning season.
Main Image: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
