25 Stats That Summarize the 2025 Detroit Tigers

We finally made it. Well, halfway at least. The MLB season is officially at the midway point, and the Detroit Tigers are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball. How did they arrive at this point?

The MLB season is halfway over, and what a season it’s been for the Detroit Tigers.

At 50-31, the Tigers are currently tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball. Can you believe it?

Heading into the 2025 season, expectations were cautiously optimistic for Detroit. The team had just gone on an epic run to close out the 2024 season, advancing all the way to the American League Divisional Series after being just 55-63 on August 10^th. But despite that run, one reason for the “cautious” qualifier above was that certainly, there would be regression in Detroit in 2025. The Tigers went 31-13 in the last 44 games of the ’24 season, which equates to a .705 winning percentage. Certainly, that pace was not sustainable.

It turns out that a .705 winning percentage was in fact not sustainable for the Tigers in 2025. But a .617 winning percentage will do just fine.

It’s been a true team effort for Detroit to get to where they are in the 2025 season, with comeback and redemption stories up and down the roster; an entire book could be written about the team’s success so far.

We don’t have time to write an entire book (although this column may feel like one by the end), but below are 25 stats that summarize how the Tigers have gotten to this point, halfway through the season (all stats are through Wednesday):

3.8

It all starts with the ace, Tarik Skubal. After winning the Cy Young Award in 2024, Skubal has somehow been even better in 2025. His 32.1% strikeout rate, 3.3% walk rate, 2.29 ERA and 2.45 xFIP are all better than last year, and even after a somewhat pedestrian start on Tuesday, Skoobs is the leader in the clubhouse for the 2025 Cy Young. His 3.8 fWAR ranks 1^st in baseball among all pitchers.

1.8 

Skubal has been the engine behind the Tigers strong pitching staff so far, which was to be expected after his 2024 season. But what was not expected was one Ednel Javier Báez being a major factor in the Tigers strong position group so far. Javy has not only played his usual excellent defense this season (including at *checks notes* center field), but combined with a .285/.325/.465 slashline at the plate, his 1.8 fWAR currently ranks 5^th among all hitters for Detroit.

150

While Javy’s resurgence may be the story of the 2025 Detroit Tigers to date, the Tigers wouldn’t be where they are without outfielder Riley Greene. Still just 24, Riley has been the heart and soul of the Tigers offense so far this year, as his 150 wRC+ not only leads the team, but is ranked 11^th in all of baseball among qualified hitters. Greeney just keeps getting better at the plate, raising his wRC+ from 98 in ’22, to 121 in ’23, to 135 in ’24, to 150 in ’25. He’s also a solid outfielder, and his 2.9 fWAR leads all Tiger position players.

2.1

Wins above replacement is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to stats, even if you’d think so in reading this column so far. But it does provide a useful tool to capture how valuable a player is, and an argument could be made that Zach McKinstry has been one of the five most valuable Tigers this season. Zach has not only provided excellent defense at five positions, but he’s a great baserunner, and is also currently hitting .269/.349/.420 for a 118 wRC+. An improved walk rate and more pop has taken Z-Mac to new heights offensively, and combined with his contributions in the field and on the bases, McKinstry’s 2.1 fWAR ranks third among all Tigers players.

87

When Scott Harris and company signed Gleyber Torres to a one year deal this offseason, they were hoping that he’d not only provide a steady presence at the top of the lineup, but also provide the youthful Tigers offense with an example of how to conduct a plate appearance. It’s fair to say that Torres has surpassed those expectations. His 133 wRC+ ranks first in the American League among all qualified second basemen, and the advanced numbers say he’s actually been getting unlucky at the plate so far. His xwOBA is .039 points higher than his actual wOBA, and he currently ranks in the 87^th percentile or higher in (*deep breath*) squared up %, chase %, whiff %, strikeout %, walk %, expected wOBA, expected batting average, and expected slugging per Statcast.

76

When the Tigers signed Torres, it was easy to think that the writing was on the wall for former first overall pick Spencer Torkelson. Detroit planned to move Colt Keith to first base, and with Kerry Carpenter expected to get the lion’s (or Tiger’s) share of time at DH, there wasn’t an easy path to the roster for Tork. But he made some subtle adjustments in the offseason that were clear in spring training, and he’s taken those adjustments into the 2025 season. His 119 wRC+ ranks 5^th in the AL among qualified first basemen, and his 16 home runs rank 1^st.

Like with Gleyber Torres, advanced metrics suggest that Torkelson has also been unlucky this year, as his xwOBA is .020 points higher than his actual wOBA; and with a 76^th percentile or higher ranking in barrel %, launch angle sweet spot %, chase %, walk %, expected wOBA and expected slugging (per Statcast), there’s a good chance that Tork has even more in the tank for the second half of the year.

11

We mentioned in the intro that this Tigers season has been full of comeback and redemption stories, and we’ve covered several already. Another to add to the list is Mr. Casey Mize. Like Spencer Torkelson, Mize was a former first overall pick. Like Tork, Mize also hadn’t quite put it all together through the 2024 season, despite flashing promise at various times. But also like Tork, Casey made some adjustments in the offseason that were apparent as early as spring training, that he’s carried into an excellent 2025 season to date. His strikeout rate is up from last year, his walk rate and batting average allowed are down, and his 2.88 ERA currently ranks 11^th in the American League among pitchers with at least 70 innings.

19

While the Tigers have gotten solid production from several unexpected sources this year, they’ve also gotten solid production from several expected sources as well. After a 2024 season in which Reese Olson posted a 3.53 ERA / 3.72 xFIP in just over 112 innings, hopes were high that Reese could continue to improve, and provide Detroit with a solid #2 / #3 starter in 2025. And improve he has. Olson’s 2.96 ERA currently ranks 19^th among all American League starters with at least 40 innings pitched, and despite missing the past 6 weeks, Reese’s 1.2 fWAR currently ranks 2^nd among all Tigers pitchers.

5

Outside of pitchers, catchers have the most control over any given game. They are not only involved in every pitch, but they also help with game planning, and are expected to produce at least something at the plate offensively. So when Jake Rogers went on the injured list with an oblique injury earlier this season, Tigers fans were (rightfully) concerned that the magic of the 2024 season would go down with him.

But in stepped Dillon Dingler as the Tigers primary catcher, and they haven’t missed a beat. Dingler has not only proven to be one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, ranking 4^th in all of MLB in catcher defensive runs saved (per The Fielding Bible), and ranking in the 95^th and 96^th percentile in blocks above average and framing per Statcast; but his 105 wRC+ also ranks 7^th in MLB among all catchers with at least 200 PAs. Put it all together, and Dillon has been one of the best catchers in baseball this season, as evidenced by ranking 5^th in baseball among all catchers in fWAR at 2.0.

4.91 and 4.86

There were many factors that played into the Tigers epic run to close out the 2024 season, but the bullpen may have been the biggest. It felt like every time Tiger manager A.J. Hinch went to the ‘pen, whoever came in just got the job done. The Tigers bullpen has been a little more shaky this season after a hot start, but on the whole, they currently rank 14^th in MLB with a 3.74 ERA.

Confidence isn’t as high as it was last year for Tigers fans, but two pitchers they are confident in are Will Vest and Tommy Kahnle. Vest and Kahnle have been the steadiest members of the Tigers ‘pen so far, and are more often than not trusted to close out tight games. And more often than not they’ve done just that, as their 4.91 and 4.86 win probability added ranks 15^th and 17^th in baseball among all qualified relievers.

10, 19 and 20

FanGraphs has a stat called “Clutch”, that aims to capture how players perform in high leverage situations. And when it comes to relievers, while there are a lot of important stats that can and should be used to measure a player’s performance, one could argue that the clutch stat is as important as any.

We just mentioned that the Tigers bullpen has been a little hit or miss this season, but there does appear to be a fairly clear pecking order that’s been established. While Will Vest and Tommy Kahnle are the pitchers most counted on for the Tigers in clutch situations, you need more than two relievers you can count on, and that’s where Chase Lee, Brenan Hanifee and Brant Hurter have stepped up, ranking 10^th, 19^th and 20^th respectively in the clutch stat among all qualified MLB relievers.

49 and 56

Coming into the 2025 season, starting pitching depth was expected to be a major strength for the Detroit Tigers. But after Ty Madden and Alex Cobb got hurt, Matt Manning got sent to the bullpen and Kenta Maeda got released, that depth got put to the test. Jackson Jobe won the 5^th starter spot out of spring training, which left Keider Montero on the outside looking in.

Prior to his injury, Jobe provided the Tigers 49 innings with a solid 4.22 ERA, and after filling in occasionally when needed, Montero took Jobe’s spot in the rotation, and has given the Tigers 56 innings with an also solid 4.02 ERA. That’s 105 combined innings of steady production at the back of the rotation; a luxury most teams can only dream of.

84.1

All teams need innings from their starters to get through the season, and Jobe and Montero providing the Tigers with over 100 quality innings has been very helpful in the Tigers accomplishing that task. When Detroit signed Jack Flaherty to a one year deal with a player option this offseason, the hope was that not only would he give the Tigers good production towards the top of the rotation, but also provide bulk innings to keep the bullpen fresh.

While Flaherty has battled some inconsistency this year, he has given the Tigers the innings they need out of his spot in the rotation, as his 84.1 innings not only ranks 2^nd on the team, but also ranks 26^th in the American League. And with an xFIP a full run lower than his actual ERA, it appears that some positive regression to the mean could come soon for Flaherty, which will only enhance the Tigers already strong starting rotation.

14

Of all the memorable moments of the 2024 Detroit Tigers season, Kerry Carpenter’s home run off of Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase in the ALDS may have been the most memorable. As a former 19^th round pick of the Tigers, expectations weren’t high for Carpenter as he worked his way up the minor league ladder.

But after making a swing change, Carp has done nothing but mash since arriving in Detroit in 2022. His numbers are a little down this year after a career year in 2024, but one thing Kerry continues to do is hit dingers. His 14 through the halfway point are on pace to shatter his career high of 20 from 2023, and he currently ranks tied for 15^th in the American League in homers.

11.8

Tiger manager A.J. Hinch is known to mix and match his lineups, which often has a maximizing effect. But one area that has been a bit of a mixed bag for Detroit this season is the leadoff spot. When Parker Meadows went down with an injury in spring training, the Tigers were left without a clear leadoff hitter. Since then, they’ve tried a handful of players in that spot, to see if anything sticks.

Kerry Carpenter got some run for a while, but a .277 OBP is less than an ideal out of the first spot in the order. Lately, Hinch has gone with Colt Keith in the leadoff spot, which is intriguing to say the least. After a tough start to the year, Keith hit .288/.326/.513 in May, and is currently hitting .250/.328/.411 in June. The power is still coming around for Colt, but his 11.8% walk rate ranks 16^th in the AL among all batters with at least 200 plate appearances, and makes for an interesting option for Detroit in the leadoff spot.

89

When Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling got injured in spring training, the hope was that Wenceel Pérez would take over as the everyday center fielder. The injury bug had other plans, and bit Wenceel’s back; leading to a two month long stint on the injured list. But ever since coming off the injured list on May 27^th, Pérez has just been torching baseballs. He’s currently hitting .304/.349/.658 for a 178 wRC+, and the advanced metrics back up that production. Wenceel hasn’t gotten enough playing time to be a “qualified” hitter yet, but if he was, per Statcast, he’d be in the 89^th percentile or higher in expected wOBA, expected batting average, expected slugging, barrel % and launch angle sweet spot %. What a pleasant surprise Wenceel has been for the Tigers.

.070

There were many key contributors to the Tigers surprising run to finish the 2024 season, but perhaps the biggest (outside of Tarik Skubal) was Parker Meadows. His unique combination of excellent defense, excellent baserunning, and well above average offense was the proverbial straw that stirred the drink for Tigers position players last year, and without Parker, there is no playoff berth. So when Meadows landed on the injured list in spring training with a mysterious arm injury, alarm bells went off for the 2025 season.

Luckily, the Tigers weathered the storm, and Meadows was able to work his way back into the lineup at the beginning of June. It’s understandably taken Parker a minute to get up to speed, and on the surface, his offensive numbers are a little unsightly currently. However, his xwOBA is .070 points higher than his actual wOBA, which is the 6^th highest differential in MLB for all players with at least 70 plate appearances; and coupled with a .205 BABIP, suggests that Meadows has been getting pretty unlucky at the plate. That should stabilize soon, and once it does, look out.

0.92

While Parker Meadows was the driving force of the Tigers position player group during their epic 2024 run, Tyler Holton was the driving force of the bullpen. His 2.19 ERA ranked 1^st in baseball among all pitchers with at least 90 innings pitched, and even that stat doesn’t quite provide the proper context to just how valuable Holton was for the Tigers. This year, his ERA is up to 4.46, as his control and command haven’t quite got on track just yet. But that 4.46 ERA comes with a home run / fly ball rate of 22.2%, which is nearly triple his rate from 2024, and currently is the 8^th worst in MLB among all pitchers with at least 30 innings pitched. We expect that to stabilize, and his 3.54 xFIP is 0.92 points lower than his ERA, which suggests that just like with Jack Flaherty, some positive regression should be coming soon for Holton.

4

While Holton and Meadows were arguably the most important Tigers (non-Tarik Skubal edition) during the second half of 2024, Matt Vierling wasn’t far behind them. His season long fWAR of 2.5 ranked 3^rd among all Tigers players, and his versatility and production down the stretch were invaluable to Detroit. After the Tigers were left at the altar by Alex Bregman this offseason, hopes were high that Vierling could at least partially replace some of that production (at a fraction of the cost) at third base, while pitching in in the outfield as well.

But injuries were contagious in Detroit in the spring, and Vierling got infected with a shoulder injury that cost him the first 6 plus weeks of the season. Matty V eventually returned to Detroit on May 23^rd, but the lingering shoulder issue forced him back to the injured list just a few days later. Overall, Vierling has appeared in just 4 games this season; a testament to how good the Tigers are playing, despite losing their 2^nd best hitter (per fWAR) from the 2024 season. Luckily for Detroit, Vierling appears to be on the mend again, as he’s out on a rehab assignment in AAA currently.

5

We’ve spent a lot of time here (too much?) discussing the Tigers at the plate and on the mound, but there’s more to baseball than just hitting and pitching. Ever since Joey Cora took over as the 3^rd base coach, the Tigers have ran the bases with their collective hair on fire, to great success. Their aggressive style of play puts pressure on the opposing defense, which was evident last season and is even more evident this season. Despite ranking last in MLB (by a wide margin) in stolen bases, the Tigers currently rank 5^th in MLB in baserunning runs above average per FanGraphs, which makes an already dangerous lineup even more imposing.

8

Just like baserunning, defense is an underrated part of baseball. We spend so much time focusing on what players do either on the mound or at the plate, that we often lose track of how they’re doing out in the field. But that side of the ball is crucially important as well; look no further than the playoffs in any given year. If it isn’t clear by now, the Tigers have a well-rounded team, not only on the mound, but at the plate and on the bases. And that well-roundedness (?) also extends to the defensive side of the ball, where Detroit currently ranks 8^th in MLB in defensive runs saved per The Fielding Bible. Led by Dillon Dingler, Javy Báez, Zach McKinstry and now Parker Meadows, the Tigers team defense is a major strength, and one that puts them in further position to do damage come October.

If you’ve made it this far, gracias, amigo, and we’ll wrap with this. There are many stats that explain how the Tigers have gotten to this point in the season, but the most important stat of the season is 1; Detroit’s ranking in all of baseball in winning percentage, tied with the juggernaut LA Dodgers.

Hey Detroit Tigers fans! If you enjoy Tigers Minor League Report and want to help us keep bringing you the latest updates and in-depth analysis, consider contributing to our efforts. We operate entirely on a volunteer basis, and every bit of support goes a long way. You can donate to us directly via our GoFundMe or become a valued member by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Or take your fandom to the next level by joining our Patreon community. Additionally, you can shop for some awesome gear at our TMLR store. Your support helps us continue our mission to provide you with quality content on all things Tigers Minor League. Thank you!