Detroit Tigers Hitting Remains Disastrous: Just How Bad Has It Gotten?

Needless to say, the Detroit Tigers have backed themselves into quite a hole.

June 1 is still a few days away, yet the Tigers already sit 13 games under .500. On top of that, Detroit is now 10.5 games back of the division lead, six games out of the final Wild Card spot, and sits dead last in the American League after losing the “Sacko Series” against the Los Angeles Angels for the worst record in the AL.

There are plenty of reasons you can point to when trying to explain how things got this bad.

You can blame the injuries that have depleted the Tigers roster. You can blame the players being trotted out onto the field and underperforming at an elite level. You can blame the coaches for continuing to try and win like it’s still 2024 instead of adjusting to the team they currently have. Or, of course, you can take the low-hanging fruit and blame the general manager, as Scott Harris seemed to completely ignore the Tigers’ biggest issue during the offseason: hitting.

A team that was a top-five offense for much of the 2025 season completely fell off a cliff late in the year, going 7-17 over the final month and fumbling away what became one of the biggest division collapses in recent MLB memory. The hitting didn’t just cool off — it disappeared entirely, falling straight through the Earth’s crust and into the lava-filled core where it apparently still remains today.

Instead of looking at a lineup that struggled mightily to score runs when it mattered most, Detroit spent the offseason handing out bags of cash to veteran pitchers. One of them, Justin Verlander, still hasn’t even thrown a pitch for the Tigers. Another, Framber Valdez, has looked more like an outcast than a true fit on this roster.

Harris brought in the big-name arms and seemingly believed players like Zach McKinstry, Matt Vierling, and Wenceel Perez would all take major steps forward offensively. Instead, the exact opposite happened, and now the Tigers are forced to rely on players like Gage Workman and Zack Short due to how lifeless the offense has become across the board.

Starting with the positives, Riley Greene has been superb this season. Greene is hitting .304, ranks second on the team in runs scored with 30, and is also second in RBIs with 25. The home run numbers are slightly down, but after the constant strikeout issues from trying to hit everything 450 feet last season, the improved contact has been a welcome tradeoff. Unfortunately, quality at-bats only matter so much when nobody else in the lineup can keep things moving.

Kevin McGonigle has also been a much-needed spark in the Tigers lineup, bursting onto the scene with crisp swings and consistent contact. McGonigle is hitting .291, leads the team with 35 runs scored, is tied for third with 21 RBIs, and has drawn more walks (33) than strikeouts (31). Simply put, McGonigle has been the brightest shining star on this Tigers roster.

Dillon Dingler currently leads the team in home runs with 10.

Then comes the ugly.

As a team, the Tigers are hitting just .137 with runners in scoring position over their last 20 games. During that same stretch, Detroit is averaging only 2.6 runs per game — and that number is heavily inflated by a 10-6 loss, a 7-4 loss, and a 4-0 win. Remove those three games, and the scoring average drops to just 2.3 runs per game.

The hitting hasn’t just been bad. It has progressively gotten worse.

Spencer Torkelson has had flashes. He had one stretch where he homered in five consecutive games and another game where he recorded three extra-base hits. But outside of those brief moments, Torkelson is hitting just .205 and continues to struggle with consistency. Incredibly, he has more multi-home run games in his career (5) than hits with the bases loaded (3).

With the bases loaded, Torkelson is a staggering 3-for-34, good for an .088 batting average. He also has 13 strikeouts compared to just three walks in those situations. Fair or unfair, the fuse is starting to burn short.

The Tigers currently have seven players on the roster with at least 28 plate appearances hitting under .200 this season:

And then there’s Jace Jung, who has only logged eight plate appearances so far but is currently hitting .167. To make matters worse, the Tigers selected Jung one pick ahead of Zach Neto, who already has over 13 career WAR.

It’s an atrocious look, and one that feels like it’s finally starting to wear down the fanbase.

After years of roller coaster seasons, the Tigers finally broke through and returned to the playoffs, ending a drought that lasted nearly a decade. Fans slowly started allowing themselves to believe again. Expectations changed from simply being happy to see competitive baseball to genuinely believing this team could contend.

But the moment Tigers fans finally started lowering their guard and buying back in, the offense completely collapsed. The lineup has crumbled like a dried-up cookie in the hands of a toddler.

The Tigers are down. Maybe not officially out yet, but as close as a team can possibly be in May. And right now, every eye in Detroit is locked onto the hitters.

It’s time to either start producing or start closing the door behind you.