5 Bold Predictions for the Detroit Tigers in 2023

The Detroit Tigers were disappointing last season, and the off-season was dull, but the one good thing is that things can’t get much worse.

It is tough to predict how many wins the Tigers will have because of so much uncertainty, but there is always hope. With many young players on the roster, Al Avila out of the picture, and a fan base ready for something to cheer about, 2023 for the Tigers needs to bring a glimpse of hope.

With that considered, here are five bold predictions for the Detroit Tigers in 2023.

1. Austin Meadows Will be the Tigers Best Hitter

It will be hard for Meadows to have a worse season than last year, where he only played in 36 games because of injuries and mental health struggles. Meadows was an exciting addition to the Tigers because of how productive he was for the Rays. He was expected to bring much-needed power to an inadequate Tigers lineup.

Although it seemed like he didn’t play at all, Meadows was by far the toughest hitter in the lineup in the few games he did play. If his health is back to normal, don’t be surprised to see Meadows lead the team in home runs and RBIs.

2. The Tigers Will Have the Best Bullpen in the American League

The one bright spot for the Tigers last season was, surprisingly, the bullpen. They had the lowest ERA in the American League for a period of time. Although Soto is gone, which might be a good thing, the Tigers are surrounded by great arms.

Alex Lange was one of the biggest surprises and should fit perfectly into the new closer role. Tyler Alexander, José Cisnero, and Will Vest have experience and have proven themselves to be reliable for A.J. Hinch.

If the Tigers are once again bad offensively, look for the bullpen to have another good season and help them win those close games.

3. The Tigers Will Be Above .500 at the All-Star Break

This might be the boldest prediction out of all of them, but nothing wrong with being hopeful, right?

Last season, the Tigers were 37-55 before the all-star break. There’s nothing more to say about that other than, at that point, the season was already over.

But the one good thing the Tigers have is A.J. Hinch. Whether you like him or not, he knows how to manage a team and get them on the right track. If all of the pieces come together and they can finally figure out how to bring a winning mentality to this team, the Tigers will be above .500 going into the all-star break and give the fan base some sort of hope going into the 2nd half of the season.

4. Spencer Torkelson Spends More Time in the Minors

The hype for Spencer Torkelson was through the roof for the organization. But with all that hype came disaster when Torkelson didn’t produce like many thought he would. He has so much potential, but he is one of those players that may have been called up too soon.

He will start on opening day, but the struggles will still occur. He is still young, but he will need more time to develop. Torkelson could end up spending more time in the minors this upcoming season, but it might not be a bad thing for the future of this organization.

5. Playoffs for the Tigers? No

This isn’t much of a bold prediction, but for those who have hope for the Tigers this season, you will have to keep hoping. It has been eight years since the Detroit Tigers made a playoff appearance, and after 2023, the number will sadly jump to 9.

There are just too many question marks with this team. The lineup is well below average, the pitching staff is injured, and the farm system isn’t improving.

It will be hard for the Tigers to be as bad as last year, so there may be some improvement overall, but if you’re a die-hard fan, be sure to buckle up for another long season once again.