Tigers Today podcast: It's time for baseball. Can Detroit actually contend?
It's almost time to play ball ... and Tony Paul and Chris McCosky have you covered on Tigers Today.
On this edition of The Detroit News' podcast, they preview the Tigers' 2024 season, which gets underway on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago (4:10 p.m., BSD/97.1).
Chris predicts the Tigers will reach the .500 level (81-81) and Tony says they'll win 87 games, but they both expect Detroit to contend in the Central Division because of the best five-man starting pitching staff in arguably the weakest division in the American League.
Tigers starting pitchers
▶ Tarik Skubal, 27 years old, 6'3", 240 (7-3, 2.80 ERA last year)
▶ Jack Flaherty, 28 years old, 6'4", 225 (8-9, 4.99 ERA last year)
▶ Kenta Maeda, 35 years old, 6'1, 185 (6-8, 4.23 ERA last year)
▶ Casey Mize, 26 years old, 6'3", 215 (0-1, 5.40 ERA last year)
▶ Reese Olson, 24 years old, 6'1", 160 (5-7, 3.99 ERA last year)
"They're (Tigers) not going to win a lot of 9-8 games," McCosky said on the podcast. "They're not built for it. That's why (Scott) Harris (president of baseball operations) put so much emphasis on more pitching. He knows he has to keep the games close until the hitting matures and gets better."
At the end of the podcast, Chris and Tony debated whether the Tigers would've benefited from reuniting with J.D. Martinez, an issue raised in Wojo's column. Martinez signed a one-year, $12-million contract with the New York Mets, a team the Tigers will play in a three-game series next week in New York.
Here's other highlights from today's Detroit News/Detroit Tigers podcast:
▶ :30: Chris back from Florida and off to Chicago for the opener
▶ 1:30: Beau Brieske optioned to Toledo
▶ 4:30: Team of versatile players
▶ 7:20: AJ Hinch on building a positive winning culture
▶ 9:45: Central Division predictions
▶ 11:30: Tarik Skubal, "Cy Young candidate"
▶ 13:00: Jack Flaherty regaining 2019 Cy Young form
▶ 15:40: Casey Mize, "the mystery card"
▶ 17:50: Parker Meadows "growing quickly"
▶ 21:10: J.D. Martinez debate
▶ 24:00: Jackson Jobe video goes viral
Finally, here's the Tigers' schedule beginning with Thursday's season opener in Chicago and including the first weekend series at Comerica Park next week.
▶ Thursday: Tigers at White Sox, 4:10 p.m. (BSD/97.1)
▶ Saturday: Tigers at White Sox, 2:10 p.m. (BSD/97.1)
▶ Sunday: Tigers at White Sox, 2:10 p.m. (BSD/97.1)
▶ Monday: Tigers at New York Mets, 7:10 p.m. (BSD/97.1)
▶ Tuesday: Tigers at New York Mets, 7:10 p.m. (BSD/97.1)
▶ Wednesday: Tigers at New York Mets, 7:10 p.m. (BSD/97.1)
▶ Friday: Oakland A's at Tigers, 1:10 p.m. (BSD/97.1)
▶ Saturday: Oakland A's at Tigers, 1:10 p.m. (BSD/97.1)
▶ Sunday: Oakland A's at Tigers, 1:40 p.m. (BSD/97.1)
On deck
Next week Tony and Chris will take a look at the first six games of the season and preview the home opener against the Oakland A's on Friday, March 5 (1:10 p.m., BSD/97.1). Tony and Detroit News film critic Adam Graham will also have a special Tigers Today podcast next week, talking about their favorite baseball movies.