The Detroit Tigers were expected to be one of the worst teams in baseball in 2021.
With the organization going through a massive rebuild, most fans expected something in the ballpark of a 100-loss campaign.
Instead, with about two months remaining in the regular season, the Tigers are hovering around .500 at 54-60.
A lot has gone right for Detroit, and while the team isn’t going to make the playoffs this year, a postseason bid could be in the cards sooner than expected.
In this piece, we’re going to take a look at some of the young talent that the team boasts.
Let’s get started.
Casey Mize And Tarik Skubal Look Like They’re Ready To Anchor The Rotation For Years To Come
From a rotation standpoint, the Tigers’ 2021 season will likely be remembered as the year of Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal.
These two youngsters are both 24 years old, and it looks like both guys will be staples in Detroit’s rotation for many years.
Mize—who is a rookie—is working a 3.57 ERA over 21 starts.
The Tigers are 12-9 when he gets the ball, and he has all the makings of a potential ace.
Casey Mize, Nasty back-to-back Splitters. 😨 pic.twitter.com/HyrAgqaQMV
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 26, 2021
Skubal hasn’t been quite as impressive as Mize, but there is still a lot to be excited about.
Like Mize, Skubal is a rookie.
He has a 4.32 ERA over 22 outings (20 starts) this season, and he has fanned 121 batters in 110.1 innings.
For both players, the sky is the limit.
Let’s not forget about Spencer Turnbull, either.
The 28-year-old is going to be a key rotation piece along with Mize and Skubal for the foreseeable future.
Although Turnbull has missed a good chunk of this season due to an injury, he posted a 3.97 ERA last year and has a 2.88 ERA this year.
Akil Baddoo Is Playing Like A Future Star
Akil Baddoo is another Tigers rookie who is on an insane trajectory.
Baddoo, 22, is batting .266 with a .795 OPS and 123 OPS+ this season.
He has homered 10 times, doubled 18 times, and tripled five times.
Akil Badoo's parents reaction to his first MLB HR (in his first MLB PA)
How can you not be romantic about baseball. pic.twitter.com/mQY9ZI1X0d
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) April 4, 2021
He has the rare ability to be a power-hitter and a base-stealer, as he has swiped 14 bags already.
As a righty, Baddoo annihilates right-handed pitching.
In fact, all but one of his extra-base-hits this season have come against righties, and he has an OPS of .889 against them.
The next step for the rookie will be to make life equally difficult on left-handed pitchers.
But right now, fans should be ecstatic about the potential of this guy.
The Tigers Have Even More Future Stars Developing At The Minor League Level
The Tigers have one of the best farm systems in baseball.
In fact, one publication thinks the organization ranks No. 2 in that department.
Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, and Matt Manning are all prospects who project to make an impact at the MLB level as soon as the 2022 season.
Manning is actually already playing with the big-league team.
The results have been rocky so far, but the Tigers are going to have to live with the growing pains.
The bottom line is that Detroit is soon going to add even more young talent to a roster that is already loaded with it.
The future is absurdly bright.
NEXT: Do Tigers Have Any Shot Of Stealing Wild Card Berth?