After their second-half turnaround, the Detroit Tigers have become the Cinderella story of the 2024 Major League Baseball season.
The Tigers season seemed to be lost after they became sellers at July’s trade deadline when they let starting pitcher Jack Flaherty go to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Some thought that Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was next in line to be traded, but they ended up keeping him and making a run in the second half of the season.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Skubal reveals the impact that manager A.J. Hinch has had on the Tigers.
On the podcast, https://t.co/l7sChdqYrR Cy Young frontrunner Tarik Skubal talked about the credibility that A.J. Hinch brought to the Tigers. pic.twitter.com/3pxHtH5Cch
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) September 27, 2024
Hinch managed the Houston Astros through 2019 which included winning the 2017 World Series with the team.
The Tigers hired Hinch before the 2021 season and have just signed him to a long-term extension before the 2024 season.
Skubal describes the sense of peace that Hinch brings to the Tigers clubhouse and how things never seem to be too tense.
Hinch was able to turn around the Astros organization while managing them, and he appears to have turned this Tigers organization around as well.
The Tigers sit 3 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins for an American League wild-card berth in the 2024 postseason.
With only 3 games left to play, the Tigers need one more win or one loss by the Twins to secure their first playoff appearance since 2014.
Their final series of the year starts Friday against Major League Baseball’s worst team the Chicago White Sox.
The City of Detroit is ready to celebrate and hope their team can clinch the postseason Friday to avoid any drama this weekend.
NEXT: Tigers' Win On Thursday Has Fans Buzzing