Last season, we predicted that the Detroit Tigers’ best chance at the playoffs was slugging their way to a Wild Card, at best.
Well, we were half-correct. The Tigers did indeed clinch a Wild Card berth, but not because of their hitting. Detroit’s bats ranked 24th in home runs and batting average, and 21st with 95 wRC+.
Rather, it was the Tigers’ surprisingly improved pitching that led the way to 86 wins. Led by Cy Young and pitching Triple Crown- winner Tarik Skubal, Detroit’s arms posted a 3.61 ERA. That ranked fourth in baseball, up from 17th last year.