Detroit

Tigers

Greene got the Tigers on the board in the fourth inning as he roped a double down the left field line that plated Kerry Carpenter. He grounded out to third base in his only other plate appearance in the contest. He’s just 1-for-7 (.143) to open the spring, though it comes with an encouraging 1/3 K/BB ratio through his first four games.

The 38-year-old hurler needed just 12 pitches to retire the Jays in order in the second inning, getting a pair of whiffs and posting a CSW of 25 percent. The velocity on his cutter was down a bit from his 2025 average, sitting at 91.6 mph (-1.2 mph), but that’s not unusual for his first outing of the spring. If that trend sticks through the end of March though, it could be worrisome.

The two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner struck out one and walked one on the afternoon. He cruised through his first two innings unscathed, but ran into trouble in the third as Rafael Lantigua worked a leadoff walk and Sean Keys smacked a one-out double to right. Jonathan Clase then followed with a two-run double to left-center. Skubal got four whiffs on 44 pitches on the day, posting an uncharacteristically low CSW of just 20 percent. It’s just one spring training start, there’s no reason to worry. Skubal is still the top starting pitcher on the board in all fantasy drafts.

The 43-year-old hurler is lined up to make his Grapefruit League debut on either March 6 or 7. He’s on the same buildup schedule that he has been in season’s past and will be ready to roll when his spot in the rotation comes around once the regular season begins. With his return to the Tigers and his strong finish to the 2025 campaign, Verlander makes for a worthwhile late-round option in deeper mixed leagues.

Neither right-hander had a realistic shot at cracking the team’s Opening Day roster, so there are no surprises here. Madden, 26, will open the season in the rotation at Triple-A Toledo. Both hurlers should have an opportunity to pitch for the Tigers at some point during the 2026 campaign.

It’s somewhat noteworthy as the Tigers’ lineup contains most of their regulars behind Tarik Skubal. The club’s top prospect has been lighting the world on fire once again this spring, slashing a blistering .462/.533/.769 in his first 15 plate appearances and has had Tigers’ skipper A.J. Hinch praising his approach at the dish. With each passing day, the likelihood of McGonigle opening the season as the team’s starting shortstop increases.

The 21-year-old is now slashing .462/.533/.769 in his small sample of spring at-bats. However, he continues to make meaningful contact. His triple was 102.2 mph off the bat, and he’s struck out just three times in 15 plate appearances this spring. There is a good chance that he could start at shortstop for the Tigers to begin the season and, if he doesn’t it’s unlikely he’ll remain in the minors for long.

Anderson sat just under 96 mph with his four-seam fastball and registered a 23 percent whiff rate on the pitch, which was nice to see. He also produced three whiffs on seven swings with his changeup but allowed three hard-hit balls in three innings of work. He figures to start the season in the bullpen since the Tigers’ rotation is full and he has no minor league options remaining.

McGonigle hasn’t generated the stratospheric hype from fantasy managers as Pirates phenom Konnor Griffin since the start of spring training. Yet, he possesses one of the most advanced hit tools of any prospect in recent memory with the ability to consistently generate upper-echelon exit velocities. The 21-year-old top prospect recorded a pair of 108-mph exit velocities during Friday’s game against the Phillies and continues to make a strong impression. Simply put, his bat is too potent to remain in the minors for much longer, even if he doesn’t break camp on Detroit’s season-opening roster.

Báez is 4-for-7 with a steal in the early going. He could open up as Detroit’s primary shortstop or in more of a job share with Zach McKinstry, depending on how much the Tigers want McKinstry playing elsewhere. That’s assuming top prospect Kevin McGonigle doesn’t just up and overtake them both.