Only a couple weeks have passed since the conclusion of the World Series, but the Tigers are already making waves ahead of the 2021 season. Not only has AJ Hinch been brought in to manage the team, but his staff, headlined by pitching coach Chris Fetter and bench coach George Lombard, is a sign that the organization is finally moving in a more progressive direction. Couple that with the young core that they are developing and the Tigers now have something that they haven’t had in years: expectations.
Even if the expanded playoffs remain, the expectation that the Tigers should be a part of it still seems like a stretch — at least for next year.