During what was a disappointing year in Detroit, for various reasons, there were many positives in 2026 for the Tigers. Because of the successes of Troy Melton, Kevin McGonigle, and Max Clark, among others, Detroit’s future doesn’t look bad, even without Tarik Skubal. But for 2027, the Tigers could use help in one specific area.
Biggest needs for Tigers
The Tigers saw second baseman Gleyber Torres walk to free agency yet again, which leaves a second base spot on paper open for 2027.
But Detroit has Max Anderson, who hit at every Minor League level and is expected to be one of several internal options to take over the position. You also have to remember Hao-Yu Lee, who split time between second and third last year, with most of his time being at second. Lee hit pretty well, with 10 home runs and 31 extra-base hits in 114 games.
Anderson and Lee are two parts of what has become an expanding crop of young Tigers on the MLB roster. Kevin McGonigle came up to start in 2026 and did nothing but hit, establishing himself as a cornerstone piece. Max Clark posted a .350 on-base percentage in his rookie season and is also a key part of that future, as is 2026 All-Star Dillon Dingler.
Between all of those players, the Tigers don’t have to do too much with reconfiguring the lineup for next season. Pitching, though, is where things get complicated for the Tigers.
Starting with the rotation, the Tigers have enough internal pieces to fill it out. Framber Valdez, Troy Melton, and Jackson Jobe represent the present & future, while Keider Montero was one of baseball’s most underrated pitchers in 2026. Montero had a stellar 2.15 BB/9 that was in the top 25 among MLB starters last season, plus a .99 HR/9 that ranked in the top 50.
Between those four, plus Drew Anderson, River Ryan, and, possibly, a healthy Reese Olson, the Tigers may be just fine there.
The bullpen is the tricky part of all this. Kenley Jansen (who pitched fine overall, despite some hiccups) is gone, and the Tigers already shored up one part when Jacob Waguespack was re-signed in early November. Waguespack was fantastic for Detroit last season, so much so that his .246 opponents’ wOBA ranked 18th among relievers (min. 30 games pitched).
Aside from Waguespack, the Tigers also return Drew Sommers and his hard-to-square-up fastball, Tyler Holton, and Kyle Finnegan. But Detroit could still use another reliever, particularly a right-handed one. Even though lefties are a scarce resource across MLB, the Tigers are shored up pretty well in that department.
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