The Detroit Tigers got off to a very slow start in April 2023 winning only 10 of their first 27 games. As the weather heated up so did Detroit. The Tigers finished the season 78-84 which was good for 2nd in the AL Central Division. In addition, the Tigers finished with a winning record overall versus the Central Division and had they faired a tad better against the AL East (7-25) they would’ve been a legitimate threat to the eventual AL Central champs Minnesota Twins. Although the Central is one of the weaker divisions in baseball the Tigers have 3 key players that they will depend upon to take their team to the next level.

Casey Mize

In the 2018 MLB draft the Detroit Tigers selected Casey Mize #1 overall out of Auburn. Mize would eventually sign a deal with the Tigers that included a $7.5 million signing bonus. In 2020 Mize would make his debut where he took a no-hitter into the 6th inning. After a full year spent in the minor leagues Casey would go on to pitch the entire 2021 season going 7-9 and was primed for a breakout year in 2022. That would come to a screeching halt after a simple elbow sprain turned into him having to get Tommy John Surgery, which he has yet to return from. Fast Forward to 2024 Mize has been cleared to return to pitching activities and hopes to bolster a Pitching staff that will be without their former ace Eduardo Rodríguez. They will also look to fill the void left by their lone all-star Michael Lorenzen who revitalized his career in Detroit before being traded away at the deadline to the Phillies. This year will be a major indication of whether Mize will ever live up to the hype of his #1 overall selection.

Taking this off-season to mentally prepare for the Casey Mize 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Tour pic.twitter.com/fzu2Kf61sD

— Calico Joe (@CalicoJoeMLB) November 26, 2023

Javier Baez

Javier Baez is far removed from his days of being a runner-up MVP selection in Chicago back in 2019. Baez finished the 2023 season with just 9 homeruns, 59 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .325. Hitting wise this is a career low for Javy. After the season it was no surprise, when he chose to not exercise his opt-out clause for the remaining four years left on his $140 million contract. Baez also has a 10-team no trade clause. With Miguel Cabrera retiring and Eduardo Rodriguez leaving in Free Agency, Baez is now the highest paid player. The Tigers organization is holding out hope that he can bounce back and contribute to an offense that ranked 27th overall. On the flip side Baez is still a plus defender at Shortstop ranking 6th amongst all players including a 9 OAA (outs above average). In the incoming year Baez will look to regain the power he once possessed earlier in his career and cut down on the strikeouts. Baez finished with the most strikeouts amongst all AL Shortstops with 272.

Alex Lange

In 2023,  Alex Lange would break camp as the Detroit Tigers everyday closer. Lange is a moderately hard-throwing reliever who utilizes a mid-90s sinker, hard curve, and a change up to strike hitters at a rate of 28.7% of the time. Lange would conclude the season with 26 saves, a 3.26 ERA, including holding hitters to only .138 average in high leverage situations (111 plate appearances). This success did not come without some major ups and downs throughout the year. Lange would struggle with some major command issues that would cause him to lose his closer job for part of the season. In Lange’s brief absence the Tiger’s manager AJ Hinch would call on relievers such as Tyler Holton and Jason Foley to fill the void in high leverage situations. All in all, Lange would close out the season strong with a 2.70 ERA and 14 strikeouts, across 13.1 innings in September and October. If the Tigers have hopes of being contenders in 2024, Lange will have to continue the success that he re-discovered late in the season. There is no guarantee that the Tiger’s offense will have a vast improvement, and they may continue to lean on the pitching staff and bullpen.