How the Detroit Tigers dominated the first half of 2025

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Detroit Tigers are sitting at the top of MLB’s standings heading into the second half of the season.

The league-leading Tigers (59-38) and their six All-Stars will open a three-game series against the Texas Rangers in Arlington on Friday before heading to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates for three more games.

So far, Detroit’s dominance has been the product of an otherworldly pitcher, timely hitting and a franchise reaping the early rewards of its farm system.

Tarik Skubal’s second Cy Young campaign

After capturing last year’s Cy Young Award, Tarik Skubal has reaffirmed his place amongst the best pitchers in the world. The southpaw has continued to dominate every five days on the mound, where his dazzling arsenal has lifted him to greater heights than last season.

Skubal is 10-3 through 19 games this season, to the tune of a 2.23 ERA, a WAR of 4.6 and 153 strikeouts, all of which rank inside the top ten in MLB. The six-year veteran also holds a league leading WHIP of 0.83 and is averaging over 11 strikeouts per nine innings.

An underrated component of Skubal’s success has been his ability to pitch deep into his starts. In an era where workhorse pitchers are becoming a dying breed, several players around MLB are doing their best to carry on the legacy, including Skubal, who has pitched for six innings or more in a dozen of his games so far this year.

Quality hitting

The Tigers haven’t turned heads like the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Dodgers with their hitting prowess, but they’ve quietly climbed the ranks as a unit, led by dynamic outfielder Riley Greene, who has taken the leap to stardom in 2025, leading Detroit in nearly every hitting category while remaining superb in left field.

The Tigers are 10th in MLB in batting average, hitting .252 as of Wednesday. The team is eighth in home runs and sixth in both total RBIs and slugging percentage.

A handful of players have been instrumental to Detroit’s offense. Zach McKinstry leads the Tigers with a batting average of .285. He’s also hit an eye-opening eight triples this season, which ranks third in MLB.

Gleyber Torres and Kerry Carpenter have been impactful at the plate for Detroit. Torres has proven to be a valuable offseason signing, providing steadiness at second base, where he leads the team in on-base percentage and walks and is second in hits, with 84 this season. The Venezuelan is hitting .281, with nine homers and 45 RBIs through 84 games.

Carpenter had a spectacular start to 2025 before a hamstring injury sidelined him in late June. Up to that point, the right fielder had 32 RBIs, was hitting .257 and had already hit 16 homers, including one in his final game before being placed on the IL. As impressive as the Tigers have been, they’re far more dangerous with Carpenter’s bat in the lineup.

Spencer Torkelson and Javier Baez have had two of the most redemptive seasons in Tigers history.

Torkelson, a former first overall pick, has had a seismic turnaround to his career. In 91 games, the first baseman is hitting .234, with 21 home runs, 59 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .489. Several subtle adjustments to his swing have paid major dividends for the first baseman, whose bat is playing a major role in getting the Tigers back to the playoffs.

As impressive as Torkelson has been, Baez’s turnaround this year has been even more remarkable. This season, the veteran is hitting .275 with 10 home runs, while starring on defense in center field, shortstop and third base through 79 games.

Off-season hip surgery in the fall of 2024 kept Baez sidelined through Detroit’s playoff run last season, but his performance in 2025 so far is playing a pivotal role in their return. Suddenly, the boos that littered Comerica Park after Baez’s at-bats in previous seasons are a distant memory in Detroit.

Young stars

A quiet storm that brewed in Detroit’s farm system for years is finally beginning to churn. Dillon Dingler and Colt Keith have been instrumental for the Tigers this year. Keith, who signed a six-year extension before reaching the big leagues, is hitting .264 through 85 games, with 30 RBIs. The 23-year-old seems to have fully shaken off the rust from a slow start that plagued his start to 2025.

Dingler has been impressive through 79 games in Detroit, hitting .265 with eight homers. He’s also proved to be an excellent addition behind the plate, where he’s shared catching duties with Jake Rogers this season.

Another thing to note: more young talent is on the way. Kevin McGonigle was ranked No. 1 in Baseball’s Prospectus rankings, with Max Clark and Josue Briceno climbing up the minor league ranks as well.

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How the Detroit Tigers dominated the first half of 2025

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