It’s Friday and the Tigers are in Toronto for the “Rivalry Weekend” which I think invites a very important question you guys can take to the comments: “Who are the Tigers’ real rivals?” Because I think we can all agree that the era of the AL East is long behind them, and the Guardians likely make more sense as a rival. Want interleague? Well, MLB has been trying to force a rivalry narrative with the Pirates for years thanks to the schedule. I’d also argue that for a period where the Tigers were making it regualry to the postseason, the A’s felt like a rival. I’m curious what everyone else thinks!

Let’s jump right into the news.

Detroit Tigers News:

Of Spencer Torkelson, they said:

Last year, Torkelson struggled at the plate in almost every metric but bat speed. He’s maintained his bat speed but with better contact and a higher rate of competitive swings. After using a barely opened 2-degree stance in 2024, he’s opened up with a 16-degree stance this year. He’s noticeably moved back in the box (5.5 inches), too, giving his bat speed a completely new position of power to work from.

Of Javier Baez, they said:

Báez and his stance changes are an anomaly from most of the others on this list: He closed his stance this year, from 33 degrees in 2024 to just 10 degrees this year. That has led to a much shorter step for his lead foot, which may be helping him get his swing cadence down better than in past seasons. His intercept point (where the bat meets the ball) is now double the distance where it was last year relative to the pitcher, which would support the idea his timing is better.

The Tigers rank second in the AL in team ERA (3.20) behind the Royals, but they arguably have the best five-man rotation in the league with reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize (currently on the injured list with a hamstring strain), Reese Olson and rookie Jackson Jobe. Their offense is second in the AL in runs scored, trailing only the Yankees, and it’s loaded with young power bats: First baseman Spencer Torkelson has blasted 11 homers, while outfielders Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene have hit nine apiece.

AL Central News:

MLB News:

Once upon a time, this was a heated AL East affair. That changed when the Tigers moved to the AL Central in 1998. Still, just a four-hour, 230-mile/370-kilometer drive separates the two cities and, with the Expos long gone, the Blue Jays don’t have a Canadian sibling franchise to loathe. Maybe the recent tense U.S.-Canada relations will make for a zestier-than-usual weekend in Toronto.