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.
Detroit, MI
Lions grades: Detroit survives vs. Giants despite offensive miscues, defensive breakdowns
Detroit — Richard Silva grades the Detroit Lions in their 34-27 win over the New York Giants.
Quarterback
Jared Goff wasn’t done any favors by his teammates. His lone interception was caused by a tipped pass that should’ve been caught — there were other drops, as well — and his mobility was the only reason he wasn’t sacked more than three times. He had a couple of big-time throws, including a rifled ball to Amon-Ra St. Brown that went for 20 yards on third-and-medium. Goff’s final line: 28-of-42 for 279 yards and two touchdowns. Grade: B
Running backs
What more is there to say about Jahmyr Gibbs? One of the best players on the planet dominated for the third week in a row, and this was the best game of his career. He took the first snap of overtime 69 yards to the house. He ripped off a 49-yard rush before catching a touchdown two plays later to cap a pivotal drive in the second quarter. He scored on another 49-yarder later in the game. He’s an incredibly special talent. Grade: A+
Wide receivers/tight ends
Drops have officially become a problem for St. Brown. The receiver entered Week 12 with five on the season, and he couldn’t corral two balls he should’ve caught, including a costly pass in the third quarter that tipped off his fingers and into the arms of safety Jevon Holland. St. Brown was Detroit’s most productive pass-catcher, snagging nine of his 13 targets for 149 yards and a touchdown. His score was the result of a screen. He showed good initial patience and proceeded to carry a handful of defenders with him into the end zone. Kalif Raymond hauled in a 30-yard reception with less than 30 seconds remaining in the first half, putting kicker Jake Bates in position to make a 37-yarder before halftime. Grade: B-
Offensive line
Kayode Awosika struggled in his third game filling in for the injured Christian Mahogany at left guard, allowing two of New York’s three sacks. He was swiftly beaten by Rakeem Nuñez-Roches on the second instance, giving Goff no chance to get through his progressions. The third sack came due to defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence getting initial pressure against Graham Glasgow, which forced Goff to scramble into Darius Alexander, who had two sacks. The rookie previously only had a half-sack on the season. Grade: D
Defensive line
I’m concerned about the pass rush, but Aidan Hutchinson saved the day by sacking Jameis Winston on fourth down to slam the door on the Giants. The grade here also gets a significant boost (it’d be much lower if it only focused on rushing the passer) because of Detroit’s run defense; the Giants averaged 3.1 yards per attempt, and the interior of the line defensive line (notably, Roy Lopez) deserves credit. Grade: D+
Linebackers
Jack Campbell once again paced the Lions in total tackles (11), and he had as much to do with the team’s efforts in stopping the run as anyone, notching at least three run stops. Alex Anzalone had a couple run stops, too, but he was one the wrong end of an impressive 24-yard catch from tight end Theo Johnson, who went up and high-pointed the ball with Anzalone in coverage. Derrick Barnes wasn’t at fault for a deep pass to Winston on a trick play, but he was in the wrong for not being able to get Winston to the ground after the QB caught the pass. Grade: B
Secondary
Covering Wan’Dale Robinson proved difficult. There were a handful of gains that were the result of well-schemed passes to the nimble receiver out of the slot, but Robinson also flat-out beat Amik Robertson. Robinson (a career-best 156 yards on nine catches) caught a touchdown on New York’s opening drive. It was a double-pass, and Thomas Harper, who later hauled in an interception, was baited out of position. D.J. Reed lost Isaiah Hodgins on a critical third-and-10 with the Giants backed up near their own goal line, and Brian Branch had a pass interference against Johnson later on that same drive. Robertson made up for some of his earlier errors with a crucial pass breakup late in regulation. Grade: D
Special teams
Bates made both of his field-goal attempts, knocking through the aforementioned 34-yarder and an absolutely massive 59-yarder to tie the score with 28 seconds remaining. Jack Fox had perhaps his best game of the season, as he averaged 40 yards across five punts and pinned the Lions inside their own 10-yard line on four occasions. Grade: A+
Coaching
With their backs against the wall, the Lions answered. Was it pretty? No. Were there mistakes? Plenty. But for the first time this season, the Lions rallied from down multiple possessions and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. That’s coaching. Dan Campbell made his errors — wasting his final timeout in regulation after a spiked ball sticks out — but this grade was saved by the culture he’s built. Grade: B
rsilva@detroitnews.com
@rich_silva18
Cade Cunningham had 29 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as the Detroit Pistons capitalized on sizzling shooting to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 129-116 on Saturday night for their 12th straight victory.
Detroit’s Jaden Ivey played 15 minutes and scored 10 points in his first game since breaking his left fibula on Jan. 1. Tobias Harris scored 18 points while playing for the first time since Nov. 1 after dealing with a sprained right ankle.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a second straight game due to an adductor strain.
The Pistons are one victory away from matching the longest winning streak in franchise history. Detroit won 13 straight games in 1989-90 and 2003-04, and the Pistons went on to win the NBA title both seasons.
Detroit also ended a 13-game skid in this series by beating the Bucks for the first time since a 115-106 triumph at Milwaukee on Jan. 3, 2022. That had been tied for the second-longest active win streak by any one team against another.
The longest such active streak is owned by the Los Angeles Clippers, who beat the Charlotte Hornets for a 15th straight time Saturday as James Harden scored 55 points in a 131-116 game.
Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said during his pregame availability that Cunningham had brought up the Pistons’ lack of success against the Bucks to the rest of the team earlier in the day.
Jalen Duren had 19 points and Duncan Robinson 15 for Detroit, which shot 53.3% (16 of 30) from 3-point range and 62.8% (49 of 78) overall. Ryan Rollins had 24 and Bobby Portis added 18 for Milwaukee.
The Bucks have lost four straight to drop below .500 for the first time this season.
Detroit pulled ahead for good in the second quarter and led by as many as 29.
Up next
Pistons: Visit the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Bucks: Host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Allen Park — It’s been more than a month since the Detroit Lions’ then-battered secondary, fondly nicknamed the Legion of Whom, locked down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.
The Lions entered Week 7 missing four of their five starting defensive backs. The patchwork group, led by Amik Robertson, was phenomenal against quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was viewed as an MVP candidate through the campaign’s first six weeks. The Bucs were held to a season-low nine points that evening, as reserves — from cornerbacks Rock Ya-Sin, Arthur Maulet and Nick Whiteside to safeties Thomas Harper, Erick Hallett II and Loren Strickland — not only held their own, but flat-out balled.
With the secondary’s starters slowly making their ways back to the field, some of the heroes from that October victory have returned to the background. That’s life in the NFL. If nothing else, they showed capable of being trusted in a pinch, and they etched their names into the lore of the 2025 season, no matter how it ends for Detroit.
Harper’s opportunity, however, isn’t quite yet finished. The second-year undrafted product out of Oklahoma State (2019-22) and Notre Dame (2023) continues to fill in for Kerby Joseph, who has missed Detroit’s last four games with a knee injury and will be absent from a fifth when the Lions welcome the New York Giants to Ford Field on Sunday.
Replacing an All-Pro like Joseph is next to impossible, but Harper has performed well above any reasonable expectations. Among the 83 safeties across the league who’ve logged at least 250 defensive snaps this season, Harper’s overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus (74.0) is tied for 17th. The Lions are one of three teams with two safeties inside the top 20; Brian Branch (76.7) ranks 10th.
“He plays the game the right way. … He’s in his spot at the right time, every time,” Branch said of Harper.
Being able to quickly find his footing is nothing new for Harper, who the Lions claimed off waivers about a week before their season began. Harper didn’t start playing football until his sophomore year (basketball was his first love), and he only joined the team at Karns High School in Tennessee because his older brother, Devin, requested he gave the sport a chance.
Harper’s first play was a kick return for a touchdown.
“I totally went off script,” Harper said. “It was a left return, and I just went right.”
By the end of his debut, Harper saw a future in football. After making plays with so little practice reps, he imagined what he could do if he took things seriously. It also helped that Devin, a linebacker and 2½ years Harper’s senior, was on a similar path. Devin spent six seasons at Oklahoma State, and he’s had stints with three NFL teams, most recently with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024.
“It was super natural,” Harper, 25, said of playing football.
Harper signed with the Los Angeles Chargers after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was waived following his first training camp and picked up by the Las Vegas Raiders, with whom Harper appeared in 15 games with last season.
He was once again waived in August, opening the door for the Lions to pounce.
Harper was surprised when the Raiders chose to move on, but he’s chosen to operate with the belief that everything happens for a reason. Without that gut punch, Harper wouldn’t be in Detroit.
The Lions came calling less than 24 hours after the Raiders cut him: “I was still shocked, but it was a good feeling knowing that somebody else believed in me,” Harper said.
That belief has proven both prudent and mutually beneficial.
rsilva@detroitnews.com
@rich_silva18
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