MSE Staff Predictions: 2019 Detroit Tigers

Dustin Whitehead

With the Tigers being smack dab in the middle of a rebuild, I expect this to be another difficult season. Many of the players are young and still developing. While most of the veterans have already had there best season. 2019 will be a season about player development, regarding the young guys.

65-97 – 4th Place

Steve Byrd

With a professional manager like Gardy, the fundamentals should be better as they incorporate more kids into the mix. A healthy Miggy is going to be huge out of the gate. If he’s swinging like the last four weeks, he could keep the team respectable early on. The rotation will probably end up being the Achilles heel. I like the kids that are arriving and if the Tigers get production from some of the 1-year deals (JaHay, Jordy, Moore, etc.) management can flip them for a few more prospects in July with an eye on 2020/21 being contenders. I think the organization takes another step this year and Miggy wins Comeback Player of the Year.

70-92 – Third Place

Sue Baldock

http://gty.im/1135248006

I’d love to predict that they’ll take the division if you’re as old as I am (65), you’ve already seen two championship seasons in the last 50 years (1968 and 1984), and your memories yearn to have something current to cheer for. Having said that, and given the current lineup, I cannot make any such prediction. I do think they will finish around third place. Lots of questions, can Miggy stay healthy and have an effective comeback year? What’s the pitching going to look like by midseason? What are they going to look like defensively? Will the young players be consistently productive in the lineup? Just too many questions to say this team can compete for a division title.

77-85 – Third Place

Nick LePage

While a playoff run isn’t likely, I predict some improvement from the 64-98 record last year. In another year of rebuilding, I project the Tigers to go 72-90 in 2019. I’m excited to see what the rotation looks like with the additions of Matt Moore and Tyson Ross as well as what kind of season Christin Stewart will have. The AL Central seems to be a relatively weak division this year meaning more opportunities for the Tigers to improve and win some more games.