How in the World Are the Detroit Tigers Still Alive in the Playoff Chase?
By Kyle Koster
The line of demarcation for responsibly forming an opinion on a particular Major League Baseball divisional race varies from fan to fan, though July 4 serves as a reasonable median. This means it is finally prudent to quietly point out that the Detroit Tigers, a glorified AAAA team expected to flounder toward 95 losses this season, are only 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central.
Granted, this is more because there has been something terribly wrong with the vaunted Indians. An unhittable bullpen has imploded. Jason Kipnis has looked like a shell of himself. Production has been bleak from center field. As a result, the Tribe sit just three games over .500.
But that shouldn’t take away from what Ron Gardenhire has been able to do with duct tape, a battery and piece of rope. Detroit has lost Opening Day starter Jordan Zimmermann and his colleague Daniel Norris to injury. Miguel Cabrera returned from a prolonged DL stint and promptly suffered a season-ending biceps tear. The lineup is full of also-rans and also Nicholas Castellanos.
Raise your hand if you’re familiar with these names. Jeimer Candelario. John Hicks. Niko Goodrum. Dixon Machado. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Despite this, Detroit has found a way. Today they embark to Cincinnati with an opportunity to get to .500 in advance of a weekend series with the Indians. If they win two or three of those, the landscape of the Central begins to look a bit astounding at the season’s halfway point.
The Tigers should not be in it — to the extent they are in it — here in late June. They should not be hanging around on the strength of Blaine Hardy, Matt Boyd, and Louis Coleman (all real people!). And yet here we are.
We have to at least address the possibility that Detroit makes this a legitimate race deep into July and August. It will be an astounding accomplishment and one that gets more improbable by the day. Things just don’t add up.
This is a team with one regular position player hitting over .261. One! They ranked last in home runs. There is no ace. Michael Fulmer, arguably the best arm, has been human this year and taken a step back in his progression.
And yet they’ve made it this far. Somehow.
So, yeah, the Tigers need to be addressed right now, if only to save some future shock.