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Detroit Tigers ALDS Preview: Seattle Mariners: Updated with Playoff Roster Projections and Schedule

Updated: Oct 3

The Detroit Tigers defeated the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 in the Wild Card series to advance to the ALDS for the second consecutive season, where the Seattle Mariners wait for them. The Mariners hold a 2-4 record against the Tigers this season. The Tigers won a series 2-1 in March/April and then the Mariners swept the Tigers in July during the teams' 1-12 stretch.



Detroit Tigers ALDS Preview: Series Review

The Tigers had Jackson Jobe, Casey Mize, and Tarik Skubal take the mound against the Mariners back at the start of the season. The Mariners countered with Emerson Hancock, Logan Gilbert, and Luis Castillo. Skubal didn't have his best start, but more importantly, this game took place so long ago that it's hard to really judge anything from it. The July series saw another Skubal-Castillo matchup, again with Castillo coming out on top. Mize and Jack Flaherty pitched the other two against George Kirby and Gilbert. Notably, the Mariners scored 35 runs in that series.


The Tigers are a different team now than they were then. They had a rough second half of the season, during which they lost their division lead and barely made the postseason. The Mariners, however, had the opposite path to the postseason. They were 44-41 on July 1 when the Tigers were 53-32. The Tigers finished 87-75 (34-42), the Mariners finished 90-72 (46-31).


Detroit Tigers ALDS Preview: Series Schedule (Will be updated)

  • Game 1: Detroit @ Seattle Saturday, October 4, 8:38 PM ET on FS1

    • Troy Melton versus George Kirby

  • Game 2: Detroit @ Seattle Sunday, October 5, 8:03 PM ET on FS1

    • Tarik Skubal versus Luis Castillo

  • Game 3: Seattle @ Detroit Tuesday, October 7, 4:08 PM ET on FS1

    • Casey Mize Versus TBD

  • Game 4: Seattle @ Detroit Wednesday, October 8, 3:08 PM ET, if necessary on FS1

    • Jack Flaherty Versus TBD

  • Game 5: Detroit @ Seattle Friday, October 10, 4:40 PM ET if necessary on FS1

    • Tarik Skubal Versus TBD


Detroit Tigers ALDS Preview: Possible Roster Changes

Matt Vierling and Colt Keith took batting practice today. It's also possible that Bailey Horn joins the team. A Brenan Hanifee addition is also not out of the question. If those players were to join, consider Paul Sewald and Tommy Kahnle as possibilities to be replaced on the ALDS roster. Vierling and Keith Malloy would replace Justyn-Henry Malloy and Trey Sweeney, respectively.


Detroit Tigers ALDS Preview: Key Players

No one can talk about the Mariners without mentioning the Big Dumper, Cal Raleigh. He led the AL with 60 home runs and 125 RBIs. The team also has Randy Arozarena, J.P. Crawford, and Julio Rodriguez. The team also added Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez to help power them through the finish line. Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo, and Logan Gilbert lead their staff. Woo led the team's starters in ERA, wins, and strikeouts. Andres Munoz leads the Mariners' strong bullpen, with a 1.73 ERA and 38 saves.


The Tigers will likely have Tarik Skubal to pitch Game 2 and, if necessary, Game 5. Of course, that would mean Games 3 and 4 would go to Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty, respectively, who had pitched effectively in September and in their postseason starts. Mize gave up one run in three innings, and Flaherty allowed one run in 4.2 innings. That alignment raises the question about Game 1 pitching. Will the Tigers use Keider Montero, or will they return to pitching chaos? It will be interesting to see what A.J. Hinch has in store. He made some interesting decisions in Game 2 of the Wild Card series, using rookie Troy Melton in a high-leverage situation instead of Tommy Kahnle or Rafael Montero.


The Tigers will need their collective approach to continue into the ALDS. They don't lack power, but they will need Spencer Torkelson, Kerry Carpenter, and Riley Greene to play up to their potential. Dillon Dingler and Wenceel Perez getting their first postseason hits could also be a big sign. When the Tigers were the best team in the MLB, they had every position player rolling. That's unlikely to happen in the postseason, but if they could get contributions from multiple players and in big situations, they'll have a chance.


Detroit Tigers ALDS Preview: Outlook

The Detroit Tigers have the potential to upset the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS. It depends on whether the Tigers' 7th-inning surge was another mirage or if it is a sign that they've finally broken the team-wide slump. If it is the former, the Tigers will be a tough team to beat for the Mariners. Furthermore, the Mariners have pitched well this season, but the Tigers are coming off a series against the best pitching in baseball. Cleveland was the league's hottest team, and the Tigers were the coldest. They managed to overcome it in the Wild Card. Why couldn't they do it again?



The current Tigers team enjoys being the underdog, known as the Gritty Tigs. Who could have predicted Perez would respond to a 5-59 stretch at the plate with an RBI-double or that Dillon Dingler would hit a home run and throw out Jose Ramirez? Every time fans and media decide who this team is, the Tigers prove them wrong. So no one can really know what to expect. It could be amazing. It could be terrible. However, that's a problem for the Seattle Mariners to address starting on Saturday. Will they get the best team in baseball version of this team or the 7-17 team from September? The answer to that question will decide who wins the series.


(All stats provided by Baseball Reference)


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