The Detroit Tigers have the best record in the American League and look like a serious competitor early on in the season.

It’s easy to point at a top-3 pitching staff in baseball or the Tigers’ lineup on pace for its highest home run total in nearly 40 years for why Detroit is off to a hot start.

But two-time World Series manager Joe Maddon attributes much of the Tigers’ success to the leadership in the organization working well in tandem, particularly president of baseball operations Scott Harris and manager A.J. Hinch.

“I think this is the linchpin of their success. I could see these two guys intellectually, really, hitting it off, being able to go back and forth regarding how they’re going to do things, what’s important,” Maddon told Bob Costas during MLB Now on Monday. “I think [Harris is] going to permit A.J. an absolutely open voice in this whole thing. He’s not going to try and overrun him with his perspective.

“They’ve got a great union regarding their front office to the field and vice versa and I think that’s possibly their strongest point.”

Maddon claimed to be a “big Scott Harris fan” from the time the two spent together in the Chicago Cubs organization. Harris served as assistant general manager in 2018 and 2019, when Maddon was manager of the Cubs.

Harris joined the Tigers in 2022 toward the tail end of Hinch’s second season helming the team.

Detroit has increased its win total in each of the years following the 2022 campaign, made the ALDS in 2024 and are off to a flying start at 22-13 in 2025.

Despite missing out on key free agent Alex Bregman during the offseason, the Tigers appear to have set themselves up with a roster that can string together wins and a manager getting a lot out of them from day to day.

Maddon also expressed the high standing he holds Hinch in as a manager and what he does well to get the Tigers ready to compete nightly.

“The guy’s a wonderful communicator,” Maddon said. “I think he embodies the ability to take new-school information and data and combine with an old-school flavor,” Maddon said.

The Tigers have a long way to go this season, but having won four of their last five series, things continue to go the right way for Hinch and Harris.