The unofficial holiday that everyone in the Motor City looks forward to is finally upon us. The Detroit Tigers take the field for the first time in 2022 regular season play tomorrow afternoon against the division rival Chicago White Sox, and fans are looking forward to seeing their team take the next step towards contention.
With several new additions on the roster along with another year under manager A.J. Hinch, the Tigers figure to be a factor in the discussion of the American League Central Division. And if the prediction from Robbie Grossman is any indication, Tigers fans are in for an exciting season.
“If you just look at what we’ve built and what we’re going to continue to build this year, it’s something that’s very special,” he said.
Of course, following an abysmal start to last season, the Tigers turned things around and won 69 of their final 132 games to finish at 77-85. And their sights will be set on improving that mark in 2022.
The Tigers take on the White Sox Friday starting at 1:10 PM EST, with new pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez set to take the mound for the first time wearing the Old English D.
“He wants to anchor a staff,” Hinch said of Rodriguez. “I think his success in Boston sets him up nicely to be a leader on this staff and take down a lot of innings. I think for Eduardo, the bigger the stage the better he’s going to be, so the high expectations for him and for our team are right up his alley.”
Meanwhile, Friday will also mark the MLB debut of 2020 1st overall draft pick Spencer Torkelson, who officially made the team.
“Tork is ready on a lot of levels,” said Hinch. “He’s ready emotionally, he’s ready physically. He doesn’t have to carry us, he just has to be really good.”
Check out these 4 MLB Futures bets for your consideration!
– – Quotes via Evan Petzold Link – –
