Five Things We Liked From Last Week, March 14th

Welcome to “Five Things We Liked From Last Week”, a weekly list of… five things we liked from last week:

1. Young fellas

On Tuesday afternoon, Tigers fans got a glimpse of the future as Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle, Thayron Liranzo and Josue Briceño got into Detroit’s spring training game against the Atlanta Braves. In one sequence, Clark hit a line drive to right for a single, McGonigle walked, and Liranzo sent an absolute laser to right center to score Max and K-Mac.

Clark and McGonigle look like they could be top of the lineup fixtures soon, which would do wonders for the Tigers’ batting order. Having two premium up-the-middle defenders hitting at the top of the order is not only very rare, but also lengthens the lineup; and Liranzo’s potential behind and at the plate would do the same.

2. Jack Flaherty

If it wasn’t clear enough at the time of the signing, this spring Jack Flaherty has done nothing but remind Tigers fans what he brings to the table as a top of the rotation starter. Flaherty has given up one run in 6 official innings in spring training, and on Tuesday, he flashed a new wrinkle by throwing some dare I say very solid changeups that got the Pitching Ninja seal of approval. Giving hitters another look could be a game changer for Flaherty, who threw changeups only 2.7% of the time in 2024.

Jack raises the ceiling for the 2025 Tigers and also raises the floor. Just great to have him back.

3. Gleyber Torres

Speaking of raising the ceiling and the floor of the ’25 Tigers, Gleyber Torres has looked pretty dec this spring as well. Torres has a robust .318/.448/.773 slash in Grapefruit League action, and has gone yard three times in the past 9 days.

Gleyber is the Jack Flaherty of the Tigers’ lineup this year. He’s projected for 3 fWAR according to ZiPS, and could end up being one of the three or four best regulars for Detroit in 2025. It’s a good feeling when Torres is at the dish, and he should provide another dimension to the Tigers’ offense this season.

4. Brenan Hanifee

What if I told you that Brenan Hanifee had the best ERA of any Tigers pitcher who threw over 25 innings last season?

Hanifee was the unsung hero of Detroit’s excellent ‘pen last season, putting up a too legit to quit 1.84 ERA in 29 innings. He also posted an elite BB%, barrel %, GB% and exit velo %. “No D” Hanifee was just rock solid, and this spring, he looks even better. Statcast was available on Saturday when Brenan took the mound, and not only was the velo up on all his pitches compared to ’24, but his spin rates and horizontal break were both up fairly significantly as well.

Watching the movement on Brenan Hanifee’s pitches reminds the casual (and hardcore) viewer of how tough it would be to hit a major league pitcher; just imagine trying to hit 96 with 22 inches of run without hurting yourself mentally or physically. At first glance, it would appear that Hanifee’s spot in the Tigers’ bullpen isn’t guaranteed, but A.J. Hinch and company will be hard pressed to justify Hanifee not being one of the Tigers’ best 8 relievers on March 27th.

5. Spencer Torkelson

Finally, we would be remiss to not mention the Tork’aissance occurring this very moment down in Lakeland, Florida.

Coming into spring training, Spencer Torkelson was likely on the outside looking in for a spot on the Tigers’ Opening Day 26-man roster. However, Tork has looked leaner and meaner at the plate this spring, and his numbers back up the eye test: .300/.323/.700 in 31 plate appearances.

Torkelson coming into his own would provide such a major boost to Detroit’s chances of getting back to the postseason in 2025. As we mentioned in a “Five Things” from a month ago, Spencer’s ’25 ZiPS projections aren’t so different from the not-to-be-mentioned Alex Bregman, and with Kerry Carpenter continuing to be a viable outfield option, there could be an opening for Torkelson to get significant ABs in the DH slot. Having a powerful right-handed hitter in the middle of the lineup is just what the doctor ordered for the Tigers in 2025, and the prescription may be more Tork.

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