Tigers series preview: Is this the best team in baseball?

The Tigers began their rebuild around the same time as the Royals, and just when it seemed it was stalling out last August with the team in “sell mode” a the trade deadline, the plan fell into place. The Tigers went on a tear, storming into the playoffs, then carried it over to this season where they now have the best record in baseball. Since August 1 of last year, the Tigers have won 64.5 percent of their games (71-39)

Detroit Tigers (37-20) vs. Kansas City Royals (30-27) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Tigers: 5.05 runs scored/game (4th in MLB), 3.58 runs allowed/game (6th)

Royals: 3.30 runs scored/game (27th), 3.39 runs allowed/game (2nd)

The Tigers offense is eighth in baseball in on-base percentage and seventh in slugging. But they’re pretty middle-of-the road in walk rate and batting average, and they have the third-highest strikeout rate. They have been very good with runners on base, hitting .267/.347/.420 in those situations with the fifth-best wRC+ in baseball.

Gleyber Torres was a steal in free agency, and he has feasted on lefties, hitting .372/.449/.698 against them. Riley Greene is emerging as a star, hitting .290/.365/.559 with six home runs this month. From 2023-24, Javier Báez was one of the worst hitters in baseball, batting .208/.251/.315, but he has totally turned his career around this year, moving to centerfield.

Zach McKinstry is hitting .189/.275/.278 on the road. Trey Sweeney is mired in a 4-for-39 (.103) slump. Kerry Carpenter has the third-lowest walk rate in baseball while Greene has the sixth-highest strikeout rate. Spencer Torkelson has the 11th-highest flyball rate at 52 percent.

The Tigers are dead last in baseball with 20 team steals in a league-low 25 attempts. They have been picked off just once all year, the lowest total in baseball. The Tigers are an average defensive club, although they are very weak up the middle with Sweeney and Torres. Báez has taken to the outfield quite well. Catcher Dillon Dingler has caught 30 percent of would-be basestealers and is the best pitch-blocker in baseball.

Casey Mize makes his second start since missing a few weeks with a hamstring injury. He gave up just one run on four hits in seven innings in a win over the Royals back in April, but has a career 4.80 ERA in 11 starts against them, with a 5.34 ERA in six starts at the K. Salvador Perez is 12-for-28 (.429) with a home run against him in his career, and Bobby Witt Jr. is 5-for-11 (.455) with a home run and three walks. Opponents are hitting just .111 against his slider this year.

Tarik Skubal is the reigning AL Cy Young winner and is on pace to win his second, leading all of baseball in fWAR. He has a 35 percent strikeout rate that is second in the game, with the lowest walk rate of any starter. He tossed his first career complete game in his last start – a brilliant 13-strikeout, no walk shutout against the Guardians. He has struggled against the Royals historically with a 3-9 mark and a 4.76 ERA in 16 games, and Salvy has four home runs against him, going 11-for-33 in his career (.333).

Keider Montero has moved between the bullpen and rotation in his two years with the Tigers, but he tossed five shutout innings, allowing just one hit in his last outing, a start against the Giants on Monday. Montero has a very low hard-hit rate at 25.7 percent, and a low average exit velocity. He throws a 93 mph fastball, a slider, sinker, change, and knuckle curve.

The Tigers’ 3.28 bullpen ERA is seventh-best in baseball with the third-lowest walk rate. Veteran Tommy Kahnle has been a terrific free agent signing for the Tigers, but he does have three blown saves already this year. He has split closing duties with Will Vest, who has given up just one run in 13 innings this month for a 0.69 ERA. Beau Brieske has the 12th-lowest strikeout rate among relievers. Brenan Hanifee and Tyler Holton each have 12 multi-inning appearances; only four relievers have more. Hanifee has a 55.9 percent groundball rate.

The Tigers have won four in a row and haven’t had a losing road trip since their first one to begin the season. They took three out of four from the Royals in Detroit back in mid-April, holding Kansas City to nine total runs. They are playing good baseball and seem to have a very balanced team that will be difficult to beat.

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