BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 20: Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox reacts during the second inning of game five of the 2021 American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on October 20, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
If you rewind even only to the beginning of September, the idea of the Detroit Tigers even being in the MLB Postseason might’ve still seemed far-fetched. Not only have the Gritty Tigs found their way into the playoffs (and the hearts of baseball fans) but their hot run hasn’t ended in October, starting with a two-game sweep of the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card series.
Despite their postseason roster making less money this season than Josh Hader, the Tigers look a bit like both a team of destiny and the fan-favorite of the playoffs. However, with super-teams like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and even San Diego Padres still alive, not to mention their ALDS opponents, the Cleveland Guardians that dominated their AL Central this season, some have wondered if this run is only destined to come to an end.
But if you ask Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, that’s not at all the case. In fact, he’s singing a tune that would make you think that upsetting the Astros was just the beginning for Detroit.
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A.J. Hinch all but says Tigers are just getting started in MLB Postseason
Before Game 1 of the ALDS showdown with the Guardians, Hinch spoke to the media and perfectly laid out why the Tigers are primed to make a playoff run, h/t Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
Not being playoff tested is absolutely no longer an issue for this ballclub, without question. Playing on the road in Minute Maid Park is the start of getting the dirt and mud of the postseason under their fingernails but also withstanding several counter-punches and even last-gasp efforts from the dangerous Astros furthers that point.
Beyond that, though Hinch didn’t outright say this, we’re fresh off a 2023 MLB Postseason in which we saw two “nobody expects us to be here” teams ride that momentum of getting hot at the perfect time make it to the World Series with the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks. That’s the proverbial norm of the current playoff format and is the storybook that the Tigers seem to fit the mold for.
