The Detroit Tigers have been able to tread water over the past month, despite a faltering bullpen and some offensive troubles. The Cleveland Guardians are one of the hottest teams in baseball, but Detroit still has a 6.5-game lead in the American League Central.
At this point in the season, the Tigers are starting to think about what their playoff roster will look like and who will be getting important innings.
Tarik Skubal is the obvious ace, but after that, things get a little bit dicey.
Detroit Tigers' rotation ranked seventh among playoff contenders
Skubal has the potential to carry a series for the Tigers if he's able to pitch at least twice, and that's what allows Detroit's AJ Hinch to be comfortable with the rotation, but after Skubal, Detroit fans may have to hold their breath.
Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter wrote up the article with the rankings:
"The Tigers are not paying Flaherty $25 million so he can watch from the sidelines in October, so expect him to be the Game 2 starter, despite an up-and-down season overall. Mize was an All-Star, but he has a 5.40 ERA in four starts since the break. A.J. Hinch does not have the same lockdown bullpen depth he did a year ago, but both guys could still get a quick hook if it doesn't look like they have it."
This is what Reuter had to say about the Tigers' second and third options, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize. Flahery has a solid track record in the playoffs, which helps, as he was crucial in the Dodgers' 2024 World Series run.
Flaherty's ERA is 4.76 in 124.2 innings, but he walks far too many batters and is prone to giving up a home run ball, which does not play well in MLB playoffs.