Like most teams so far, spring training has shown some good and some bad for the Detroit Tigers.
The good? Some depth has emerged in the pitching rotation. The bad? Javy Baez has started his spring 0-12 with six strikeouts. The Tigers are on the hook to pay him a lot of money the next four years.
Michigan sportsbooks have put out their odds on how many wins the Tigers will get this season. Detroit finished second in the AL Central last year, but is a contender to win the division in 2024.
BetMGM Sportsbook lists the Tigers at 81.5 wins over/under this year, while both DraftKings and Caesars say 80.5. FanDuel is least optimistic on the Tigers posting their win total at 79.5.
Looking at the rest of the teams in the AL Central, the Twins are still the favorite. They have a win total of 86.5, then the Tigers. Cleveland’s win total is 78.5, followed by the Royals at 73.5 -- remember the Royals spent a lot of money in the off-season. The White Sox have one of the lowest totals in MLB at 63.5.
Who has the highest projected win totals? No surprise. The Dodgers are pegged at 103.5 wins, while the Atlanta Braves are at 101.5. Good thing for the Tigers both teams are in the National League.
The Tigers issue the last two seasons has been clear: they don’t score a lot of runs. Detroit ranked last in runs scored in 2022 and 27th (out of 30) last season.
With that kind of production, it’s amazing the Tigers were as good as they were in 2023. If the Tigers offense can just be average, it may translate to 9-12 more wins this season. The Tigers starting rotation is solid. Tarik Skubal will start on Opening Day, and he’s allowed one hit in five innings of spring training work. Andy Ibanez has three homers and rookie Colt Keith has a couple of doubles.
Spots 4 and 5 in the rotation are still up for grabs, but there is potential.
Detroit looks like a team built around a good rotation and some promising young bats. If it all clicks, Detroit will go way over.
Born and raised in Louisiana, Darren Cooper has a fond appreciation for bayous, Mardi Gras beads and the sports betting industry. Darren has worked for multiple print and online publications since 1998, primarily as a sports columnist in the Northeast. He’s covered a Super Bowl (it was a blowout), the World Series (same) and the NBA Draft (man, those guys are tall). For the last few years he’s dug deep into the sports gambling industry as it exploded across America, learning how the legal sausage is made and how while all the sportsbooks look the same, they all have different identities and styles. He’s learned to always bet within his means -- and take the under. When not in front of his computer creating, Darren spends time with his three boys. He runs, reads and is always looking for the next big thing to write about.
.jpg)
.jpg)