Detroit, MI
Detroit Tigers stock watch: Spencer Torkelson powers up as one of AL’s top sluggers
Can Detroit Tigers continue to win games as best American League team?
Detroit Tigers radio analyst Bobby Scales joins Days of Roar to break down the team’s formula for early success, plus Spencer Torkelson’s adjustments.
Let’s type it out again: The Detroit Tigers have the best record in the American League.
The Tigers (26-15) enter May 12 trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres for the best record in baseball, but they lead the 14 other AL teams in the standings — by a full 2½ games — and boast the second-highest run differential (plus-72, behind only the New York Yankees’ plus-75) among the 30 MLB teams. The Tigers sit atop the AL Central, 2½ games of both the second-place Cleveland Guardians and third-place Kansas City Royals.
OF course, there are 121 games remaining this season.
Here’s how some players are trending with 25.3% of the season in the books:
Three up
Spencer Torkelson, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, is already a candidate to win MLB Comeback Player of the Year, hitting .247 with 10 home runs, 21 walks and 43 strikeouts across 41 games — putting him on pace for 39 home runs and 130 RBIs. His career-best .881 OPS ranks 11th among 81 qualified AL players, while his .527 slugging percentage ranks eighth.
The biggest development from 2024 to 2025? An athletic Torkelson has put his swing in a position to be on time for fastballs and to do damage on contact — even against high velocity. The 25-year-old is hitting .361 against four-seam fastballs, .400 against four-seamers at 95 mph or above and .433 against four-seamers in the strike zone. To maintain his success, he has stayed focused on his approach of hitting the ball to left-center field rather than trying to pull it.
Here’s another positive: Torkelson has been worth plus-2 defensive runs saved in 290 innings at first base. His glove has taken a big step forward over the past two seasons.
I thought Torkelson was cooked.
I was wrong.
Celebrate 125 seasons of the Tigers!
If Torkelson isn’t Comeback Player of the Year, shortstop-turned-center fielder Javier Báez might win the award — not only because he’s one of the most popular names in baseball, but also because he’s finally producing the All-Star-caliber results we hadn’t seen at any point in the first three seasons of his Tigers tenure.
Nobody saw this coming.
The 32-year-old is hitting .300 with three home runs, four walks and 28 strikeouts across 32 games. His 1.1 fWAR puts him on pace for 4.6 fWAR over the full season, which would rank as the third-best performance of his 11-year MLB career, behind only 2018 (5.8 fWAR) and 2019 (5.6 fWAR).
The offense is the key, but Báez might be making an even bigger impact on defense, ranking as a top-10 center fielder in the majors. He has been worth plus-4 defensive runs saved across 127 innings in center field, despite not having played the position until an experiment in the final week of spring training.
If it’s not Torkelson, and if it’s not Báez, then why not starting pitcher Casey Mize for Comeback Player of the Year? The 2018 No. 1 overall pick leads MLB with six wins, all while posting a 2.53 ERA with nine walks and 35 strikeouts over 42⅔ innings in seven starts.
Everything has been earned.
Mize (who headed to the 15-day injured list on May 10, retroactive to May 9) retuned to the drawing board in the offseason, visiting Driveline Baseball to find more swings and misses. The 28-year-old implemented two new sliders, giving him a total of three. He also increased the velocity of his splitter to 89 mph to create more deception with his 94.5 mph four-seam fastball.
The underlying results? His whiff rate has improved from 22% in 2024 to 28.3% in 2025 — a rise from the 21st percentile to the 70th percentile among MLB pitchers. His strikeout rate has also improved, climbing from 17.3% last season to 21% this season. One more thing: Mize owns the second-best ERA among Tigers starters, trailing only Tarik Skubal.
Honorable mention: C Dillon Dingler, RHP Brenan Hanifee, RHP Will Vest.
Three down
The Tigers provided Jace Jung the opportunity to become their third baseman of the future.
All he had to do was hit.
But the 24-year-old is hitting just .193 with 22 walks and 42 strikeouts across 50 games in his MLB career, including what appears to be a missed opportunity in his 2025 stint: a .100 batting average with seven walks and 13 strikeouts over 16 games.
Jung — the No. 12 overall pick in 2022 — is a gritty player who draws walks at an elite rate, but he continues to struggle with too many whiffs and too many strikeouts. He needs to make more contact against fastballs if he wants to stick in the big leagues, let alone lock down third base for the Tigers.
Jackson Jobe entered the season as one of the favorites to win AL Rookie of the Year, but three others have separated from the pack: Oakland Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell and New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Domínguez.
Meanwhile, Jobe is plummeting.
The 22-year-old has a 4.88 ERA with 15 walks and 20 strikeouts over 27⅔ innings in six starts. His 12.3% walk rate ranks in the 13th percentile, and his 16.4% strikeout rate ranks in the 16th percentile. Hitters don’t chase or whiff at his pitches enough, often putting him behind in counts. The biggest problem: His fastball has the velocity but not the effectiveness for the big leagues.
The sky is the limit for Jobe, but the 2021 No. 3 overall pick still needs to develop.
A left oblique strain has limited Jake Rogers to just six games.
In his absence, fellow catcher Dillon Dingler — who began the season as the backup — has emerged as a candidate to cut into Rogers’ playing time upon his return to full health. Rogers will likely remain ace Tarik Skubal’s personal catcher, but if Dingler keeps hitting (at least above .275 with at least a .700 OPS), the playing time could shift to a near 50-50 split — or tilt more in Dingler’s favor.
That’s nothing against Rogers.
It’s simply a testament to Dingler’s success on offense, especially as Rogers’ production has already dropped from a .730 OPS in 2023 to a .607 OPS in 2024. A strong return from the injured list — particularly at the plate — would go a long way if Rogers, a .202 hitter in his 288-game MLB career, wants to reestablish himself as the undisputed No. 1 catcher.
Honorable mention: LHP Tyler Holton, OF Manuel Margot, RHP Kenta Maeda.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
Order your copy of “Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!” by the Free Press at Tigers125.PictorialBook.com.
4Warn Weather – After a gorgeous Saturday, wonderful weather will continue for Metro Detroit for the second half of the weekend and into next week.
Don’t forget to check out the Blue Moon this evening; our sun sets just after 9 p.m. It’s named the Blue Moon not for color, but because it’s the second full moon of the month.
It’s also a micromoon, meaning the moon is at its farthest point from the earth that it will be all month. It will reach peak fullness at 4:45 a.m. Sunday morning.
Having two full moons in one month only happens once about every 2 to 3 years.
Also, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury will line up in the western sky.
If you’ll be sitting or standing outdoors for a bit, temperatures will be comfortable tonight, falling to near 60° by 10 p.m. before dropping to the low 40s to near 50° overnight.
That leads to a beautiful Sunday with sunshine and highs in the low to mid 70s.
UV levels will be in the Very High range tomorrow, so if you’ll be outside you may want to grab the sunscreen.
Southeast Michigan will continue to have plenty of sunny days into the coming week. The next chance for rain holds off until late Friday.
Highs will warm to around 80° for Monday for most areas. Closer to the shoreline you’ll find more 70s if not the 60s. Tuesday and Wednesday will feature highs back near 80° before we see mid 80s Thursday and Friday.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
DETROIT, MI (WXYZ) — The Black Legacy Advancement Coalition’s Black Legacy Day celebration is an intergenerational, joy filled gathering in Detroit, centered around authentic joy and liberation.
On Saturday, May 30th, Detroiters, neighbors, partners and friends of every race, creed and background are invited to share in a day of reflection and fun. Highlights will include a food giveaway, a scavenger race, a men’s basketball tournament and free justice resources.
To learn more, visit www.theblac.co.
St. Hubert pastor discusses the Archdiocese of Detroit’s restructuring
The Rev. Douglas Bignall of St. Hubert Catholic Church in Harrison Township discusses the ongoing restructuring effort by the Archdiocese of Detroit on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
The list of churches targeted for the possible stoppage of weekend Masses has grown to at least 58 parishes across southeast Michigan, according to the latest proposed models the Archdiocese of Detroit had released as part of its major restructuring process through Friday.
At least 22 parishes under the first round of proposed models wouldn’t hold weekend Mass. The archdiocese has been divided into 15 planning areas, or geographic areas, and three or four models are being proposed for each planning area, said the Rev. Mario Amore, executive director of parish renewal for the Archdiocese of Detroit.
The archdiocese has been holding listening sessions with parishioners this spring as part of its restructuring plan to get reactions.
The models have different proposed groupings of parishes, in which a grouping would share a pastor and potentially other priests. In some cases, selected churches in the grouping would no longer hold Sunday Mass.
The Archdiocese of Detroit released on May 22 and this past week the model proposals for another five planning areas, including areas of Macomb County, Oakland County and Detroit. Around 36 more parishes would no longer hold Mass in the future under the latest proposals.
Bunches of churches in Detroit would be affected, while four parishes in Troy and three parishes in Clinton Township wouldn’t have Saturday Vigil Mass or Sunday Mass under each of the proposed models presented for their planning areas.
Archdiocese of Detroit spokesperson Holly Fournier said the archdiocese has heard a wide range of reactions about the proposed models, which is “understandable given how personal parish life is for people.”
“Some pastors and parishioners are hopeful about opportunities for stronger collaboration and renewed ministry, while others are experiencing more uncertainty and concern, especially in places where one or more models suggest a parish might no longer host weekend Masses in the future,” she said.
Fournier emphasized that the models are “draft models” and aren’t final decisions.
The models for the final six planning areas will be released in June, according to the restructuring website.
The models are part of the archdiocese’s biggest restructuring plan in years. Announced last fall, Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said the archdiocese can’t maintain the roughly 200 existing parish buildings it has and is working to “right-size” the archdiocese, along with its personnel and financial resources.
These are the latest affected parishes in Detroit, Oakland and Macomb counties
Fournier said the draft models were developed by priests earlier this year and are being presented in listening sessions as proposals “meant to spark broader consultation with the faithful.” Each parish in the archdiocese is holding listening sessions this spring or early summer.
In other dioceses that have undergone restructuring processes like the Archdiocese of Detroit’s, as many as 20-40% of the initial models were changed as a result of parishioner feedback, Fournier said.
“That is why it is so important for Catholics to attend their parish listening sessions to view these models and provide their honest feedback, so informed adjustments can be made where necessary,” she said in an email.
One of the most heavily affected groupings is Planning Area 1, which includes west Detroit. Ten of its 13 parishes would not have Saturday Vigil Mass or Sunday Mass in at least one of the model plans. They include Christ the King, Presentation/Our Lady of Victory, SS. Peter and Paul (Jesuit), SS. Peter and Paul (Westside), St. Charles Lwanga Church, St. Mary of Redford, St. Moses the Black Parish, St. Peter Claver Parish, St. Scholastica and St. Suzanne-Our Lady Gate of Heaven, all of which are in Detroit.
Planning Area 9, which includes southeastern Oakland County, has between 15 and 19 parishes, depending on the model. Ten of the parishes wouldn’t hold weekend Mass in at least one of the models. Four of them are in Troy.
They include St. Lucy in Troy, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Troy, Christ Our Light in Troy, St. Thomas More in Troy, St. Owen in Bloomfield Township, Our Lady of La Salette in Berkley, Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Oak Park, St. Justin-St. Mary Magdalen in Hazel Park, St. Vincent Ferrer in Madison Heights and Divine Providence in Southfield.
Planning Area 10, which includes all of northern Oakland County and parts of western Oakland County, has 19 to 22 parishes, depending on the model. Seven would stop holding weekend Mass in at least one of the models, including St. Benedict in Waterford Township, St. Thomas More in Troy, Sacred Heart in Auburn Hills, St. John Fisher Chapel University Parish in Auburn Hills, St. Perpetua in Waterford Township, St. Rita in Holly and Prince of Peace in West Bloomfield Township.
Planning Area 12, which includes parts of southern and eastern Macomb County, has 16 parishes. Four Warren parishes and three Clinton Township parishes would stop holding Mass under the draft models.
St. Louise de Marillac in Warren wouldn’t hold Saturday Vigil or Sunday Mass in two of the three draft models presented by the archdiocese. Six other parishes would not hold weekend Mass in only one of the models, including St. Louis in Clinton Township, San Francesco in Clinton Township, St. Ronald in Clinton Township, St. Martin de Porres in Warren, St. Faustina in Warren and St. Mark in Warren.
Planning Area 13, which includes areas of central and northern Macomb County and a parish in Troy, has 14 or 16 parishes, depending on the draft model. Three parishes in the planning area wouldn’t have weekend Mass under at least one of the models: St. Jane Frances de Chantal in Sterling Heights, St. Matthias in Sterling Heights and SS. John and Paul in Washington Township.
Amore said that if a church stops holding Sunday Mass, parishioners are encouraged to worship at other churches in their “pastorate,” which is a grouping of parishes overseen by a pastor. In the long term, the church building might close, or other sacramental celebrations might take place there, such as weddings and baptisms, he said.
The parish’s buildings could also be repurposed for other uses, such as religious education classes.
Fournier said the proposed models are meant to “foster discussion and discernment.”
“We encourage Catholics to stay engaged in the process, share their feedback honestly, and remember that the goal is not simply organizational change, but ensuring vibrant Catholic communities for future generations,” she said.
asnabes@detroitnews.com
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