The Detroit Tigers made the MLB Playoffs for the first time in a decade last autumn. It was a landmark achievement for the organization and a promising sign of what's to come. Few managers are better at pulling the exact right strings than A.J. Hinch. We know what he did with superstars galore in Houston, but his ability to lead a ragtag, gritty Tigers club to the postseason was perhaps his more impressive feat yet.
Detroit is here to stay, too. The Tigers are first place in the AL Central at 10-6. It's way too early in the season for sweeping takeaways, but how can you not trust this group? Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty headline one of the best rotations in baseball. Meanwhile, Detroit's lineup, despite looking something like a hodgepodge of B-sides and has-beens, continues to produce. Hinch has an eye for matchups.
The Tigers' biggest offseason addition on the offensive front was Gleyber Torres. After a rocky stint with the New York Yankees, it's clear Torres was eager for a fresh start and a chance to prove himself. He has seen limited action so far, but it's hard to complain about a 7-for-18 start with a home run, four RBI, and a stolen base. Torres has the chance to emerge as a centerpiece of the Tigers lineup.
In addition to his on-field contributions, the 28-year-old is providing invaluable leadership in the locker room. His presence has been especially helpful for beleaguered former All-Star Javier Báez.
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Gleyber Torres gave Javier Báez the key to unlock his long-lost swing for the Tigers
One of the beautiful things about joining a new team is that you've typically faced them in the heat of battle before. You can provide inside information on your former team, as well as helpful insight on your new team from the perspective of an opponent.
Torres made excellent use of an old Yankees scouting report. He gave Javier Báez the lowdown on how New York pitched to him, and the results are tangible. After years on the struggle bus, Báez has been pleasantly productive for Detroit to begin the 2025 campaign.
"Last year against him, when we were gonna face him, we tried to pitch outside the zone, and he was chasing," Torres told The Athletic. "I always tell him little things. Like, ‘Yo, remember before the at-bat, they’re likely going to throw you two pitches off (the plate). Let’s see if you swing. If not, the (next pitches) are gonna be in the zone. Those are gonna be the pitches you hit.’ … It’s just been a lot of conversations, and so far, so good."
Báez appears to be taking Torres' instruction to heart. The shortstop's chase rate is down to 35.5 percent, an almost eight percent decrease from 2024. He's batting .289 with a .710 OPS through 12 games. It has been more than three years since Báez posted an OPS over .700 — not to mention his plus-0.4 WAR, which sits well above last season's minus-1.1 mark.
God bless Gleyber keep him here through 2027 pic.twitter.com/UUSlAZqmUV
— Ashley (@ashelizcout) April 15, 2025
Who knows if Báez can keep this up, but he's a former All-Star, Silver Slugger, and MVP runner-up who led Chicago to a World Series. The talent has never really been in question. If Báez can hone his swing, restore his confidence, and get back to effectively working counts, the Tigers' lineup has plenty of space for him to flourish. That is what Detroit paid him to do, after all: rake.
It's early, again, so we should take this hot spell with a grain of salt. If Torres can keep producing and elevating those around him, however, the Tigers will be awfully happy with that investment.