As early as it is in the season, it's always fun to look at the standings. The inevitable Cleveland Guardians lead the American League Central with a 6-5 record. The Kansas City Royals are in second place with a 5-5 record. The other three teams in the division, the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox, are tied for third place with 4-6 records.
Most expected the Twins and the White Sox to be near the bottom of the division before the season began. But the Tigers appeared to be the heavy favorites to win the AL Central before Opening Day, making their slow start a major disappointment for the club. Detroit is still favored to win the division per FanGraphs, but that narrative could quickly change if the team fails to get back on track.
The Tigers, coming off a season in which they were one win away from an ALCS berth, have a .686 OPS this year, which ranks in the top half of the league but is still well below the club's .729 mark from last season. Poor defense has been a major issue for the club this year as well, as the Tigers have committed 9 errors, tied for fourth-most in MLB.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal, arguably the best pitcher in the world, will make the start on the mound for Detroit against Minnesota at Target Field tonight, giving the Tigers a great chance to get back in the win column after back-to-back losses. The fact that Skubal is the best pitcher in the world, paired with the fact that the Twins have an awful .543 OPS against southpaws this year, should give Detroit fans a lot of optimism regarding tonight's game.
A Tigers' loss against the Twins tonight could lead to Detroit fans freaking out
Since the Tigers appear to be the clear favorites to win tonight, a loss could have Tigers fans freaking out.
While the Tigers have the clear starting pitching advantage tonight, the Twins' expected starter, Taj Bradley, should give Detroit's offense a quality challenge.
Bradley has made two starts this season. He allowed just one run on three hits and three walks with nine strikeouts against the Orioles in Baltimore on March 28. The righty then hurled six scoreless innings with three strikeouts while allowing five hits and one walk against the Royals in Kansas City on April 2. During his last outing, Bradley hit 100 mph on his fastball to strike out Bobby Witt Jr. looking, marking the fastest pitch ever thrown by a Twins starting pitcher.
Again, the Tigers have the best chance to win tonight. But if Bradley has another dominant start, the Twins may be able to steal a low-scoring victory.