MLB writer reveals Detroit Tigers ‘Red Flag’ originally appeared on The Sporting News

The 2025 MLB regular season is winding down, and for the Detroit Tigers, their eyes are set on a deep playoff run in October. With all contenders in Major League Baseball, there are always flaws and weaknesses at this time of year. Teams are dealing with injuries, underperformance from certain players, and other issues.

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So what is the Tigers’ potential Achilles heel?

Backed by the best southpaw in baseball, in Tarik Skubal, Detroit’s rotation thins out after that, and in the playoffs, a not-so-deep rotation can be exposed in a seven-game series.

Has the Tigers’ rotation ‘gone wonky’?

In a recent article by Bleacher Report, MLB writer Zachary Rymer names a ‘red flag’ for each MLB team, and his analysis of the Detroit Tigers is that their starting rotation has gone wonky:

“With 15 wins in their last 22 games, the Tigers have pulled out of the rut they fell into in July. But they can only be so confident in their rotation right now, as it ranks 19th in the league with a 4.53 ERA since the All-Star break. Tarik Skubal is still pitching well, but Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize and the newly acquired Chris Paddack have had more downs than ups. It all serves as a reminder of a question that has lingered all year: Who is this team’s Game 2 starter?”

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Tarik Skubal absolutely can carry a rotation, especially if he can pitch two or three times in a series, but will the others in the rotation pull their weight and allow for a potential series to be prolonged?

Jack Flaherty had a relatively solid 2024 postseason with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the walks are a clear issue this season, and he’s prone to giving up home runs. Flaherty can strike out hitters with the best of them, but when he’s not striking guys out, he’s usually being struck. For Casey Mize, his ERA sits at 3.63, which should be good enough to make him the game 2 starter, and newly-acquired Chris Paddack, if he continues to pitch well, may also be in consideration for that pivotal role on the Tigers’ pitching staff.