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Detroit Tigers' Opening Day roster: One question for every player as 2025 season begins
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- Detroit Tigers' Opening Day roster: One question for every player as 2025 season begins
The Detroit Tigers are ready to play ball.
Opening Day for the Tigers is 7:10 p.m. Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, beginning the 2025 season. The Tigers set their 26-man roster with two catchers, seven infielders, four outfielders, five starting pitchers and eight relief pitchers .
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The Tigers finished 86-76 in 2024, advancing to the postseason for the first time since 2014. This year, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch set a goal of winning the American League Central, which hasn't been accomplished since it happened four times in a row from 2011-14.
Here's the 26-man Opening Day roster, with one question about every player:
Catchers (2)
Dillon Dingler
Age:26. MLB debut:2024.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:.167 batting average, 1 home run, 11 RBIs.
When will his bat develop?Dingler is advanced on defense, but he always needs a little bit of time to settle in on offense when he moves up a level, so it should be a matter of when , not if , he adjusts to the big leagues. In 2024, he hit .308 with 17 home runs in 71 games in Triple-A Toledo before making his MLB debut in late July. He is a dark horse to take a big step forward in 2025.
Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, left, talks to catching coach Ryan Sienko during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Jake Rogers
Age:29. MLB debut:2019.
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Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:.197, 10 HR, 36 RBIs.
Can he hit more home runs?Rogers was a Gold Glove finalist and became Tarik Skubal 's personal catcher, but while his glove shined, his bat regressed. His power dropped from 21 home runs in 2023 to 10 in 2024. Simply put, he needs to make more contact to get the most out of his offense.
Infielders (7)
SS/3B Javier Báez
Age:32. MLB debut:2014.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:.184, 6 HR, 37 RBIs.
Is he ever hitting again?Báez enters the fourth season of his six-year, $140 million contract with $73 million remaining and more questions than answers. He is healthy after right hip surgery and six months of rehab, but he hasn't hit above .225 since 2022, his first year in Detroit.
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3B Andy Ibáñez
Age:31. MLB debut:2021.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:.241, 5 HR, 32 RBIs.
Are lefties figuring him out?Ibáñez has a defined role: He is here to rake against left-handed pitchers. He hit .292 with an .802 OPS vs. lefties last season, but it was a tale of two halves — hitting .388 with a 1.045 OPS vs. lefties in his first 55 games, then .158 with a .466 OPS vs. lefties in his final 44 games.
Detroit Tigers infielder Colt Keith bats against pitcher Tyler Owens during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025.
1B Colt Keith
Age:23. MLB debut:2024.
Bats/throws:Left/right.
Stats in 2024:.260, 13 HR, 61 RBIs.
Can he hit 20 home runs?Nobody knows if Keith can play first base, just like nobody knows if Keith will hit for more power — the only thing keeping him from reaching his All-Star potential. His 87.8 mph exit velocity ranked in the 23rd percentile last season, and he didn't hit any homers in spring training.
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3B/OF Zach McKinstry
Age:29. MLB debut:2020.
Bats/throws:Left/right.
Stats in 2024:.215, 4 HR, 23 RBIs.
Is sustainable success possible?McKinstry has been a Tiger for two years — that's 12 months — of regular-season action, hitting .225 in 266 games. He had two months of success: hitting .301 with an .865 OPS in May 2023 and .368 with a .955 OPS in August 2024. The other 10 months? McKinstry hit .200.
Detroit Tigers infielder Trey Sweeney practices a drill during spring training at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.
SS Trey Sweeney
Age:24. MLB debut:2024.
Bats/throws:Left/right.
Stats in 2024:.218, 4 HR, 17 RBIs.
Any potential in the bat?Sweeney — an average defender at shortstop — has stepped to the plate 201 times since making his MLB debut, hitting .202 with five home runs, 17 walks (8.5% walk rate) and 59 strikeouts (29.4% strikeouts rate) in 66 games, including the regular season, postseason and spring training.
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DH/1B Spencer Torkelson
Age:25. MLB debut:2022.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:.219, 10 HR, 37 RBIs.
Can he bounce back?Torkelson — the 2020 No. 1 overall pick who launched 31 home runs in 2023 — hit .340 with five home runs, four walks and 11 strikeouts across 19 games in spring training, showcasing a more athletic swing and a consistent approach. He's finally hitting the ball hard again.
Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning against the New York at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida, on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
2B Gleyber Torres
Age:28. MLB debut:2018.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:.257, 15 HR, 63 RBIs.
Will he move off second base?If Torkelson hits, the Tigers would benefit from moving Torres to third base, putting Keith back at second and making Torkelson the everyday first baseman again, but Torres — an All-Star in 2018 and 2019 — expects to play second base for the Tigers. He hasn't been willing to move to third base in past situations.
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Outfielders (4)
RF/DH Kerry Carpenter
Age:27. MLB debut:2022.
Bats/throws:Left/right.
Stats in 2024:.284, 18 HR, 57 RBIs.
Can he stay healthy?Everyone wants to know if Carpenter can hit left-handed pitchers, but more importantly, Carpenter — one of MLB's best sluggers against righties — needs to stay healthy, as he spent time on the injured list in each of the past two seasons, limited to 118 games in 2023 (right shoulder sprain) and 87 games in 2024 (lumbar spine stress fracture).
Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene smiles in the batting cage during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
LF Riley Greene
Age:24. MLB debut:2022.
Bats/throws:Left/left.
Stats in 2024:.262, 24 HR, 74 RBIs.
Can he get MVP votes?Greene ascended to All-Star status in 2024, and the next step is drawing MVP votes. He had an .827 OPS in 2024, which trailed only Juan Soto , Bobby Witt Jr. , Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Gunnar Henderson among AL players under the age of 25. Look for Greene to hit .290 with 25-plus home runs in 2025.
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CF Ryan Kreidler
Age:27. MLB debut:2022.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:.119, 1 HR, 2 RBIs.
Is he a center fielder?Kreidler, a light-hitting shortstop, is technically the fifth-string center fielder on the depth chart, but he enters 2025 as No. 1 after injuries to Parker Meadows , Matt Vierling and Wenceel Pérez. One reason to be worried: Kreidler has played three innings in center in his 72-game MLB career.
OF Manuel Margot
Age:30. MLB debut:2016.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:.238, 4 HR, 31 RBIs.
Will his role expand?Four days before Opening Day, the Tigers signed Margot to be a corner outfielder who performs at the plate against left-handed pitchers. He hit .269 vs. lefties and .208 vs. righties in 2024, but in 2023, he hit .277 vs. lefties and .258 vs. righties. It'll be interesting to see how much — if at all — he plays against right-handed pitchers.
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Rotation (5)
RHP Jack Flaherty
Age:29. MLB debut:2017.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:13-7 record, 3.17 ERA, 162 innings.
Which version shows up?Flaherty pitched for the Tigers and Dodgers in 2024, posting a 2.95 ERA in 106⅔ innings with the Tigers and a 3.58 ERA in 55⅓ innings with the Dodgers. Not only that, but his walk rate increased from 4.6% to 8.1%, and his strikeout rate decreased from 32% to 26.1%. In his return to Detroit, Flaherty hopes to recapture the mechanics he had before the 2024 trade deadline.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe watches batting practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025.
RHP Jackson Jobe
Age:22. MLB debut:2024.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 IP.
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Is he ready for this?The Tigers introduced Jobe to MLB as a reliever at the end of the regular season and in the postseason in 2024, but he's a full-time starter who expects to throw 130 MLB innings in 2025. There could be a lot of bumps in the road in Year 1, especially considering he has struggled to miss bats at the upper levels.
RHP Casey Mize
Age:27. MLB debut:2020.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:2-6, 4.49 ERA, 102⅓ IP.
Will he unlock potential?Mize was the biggest standout of spring training, as the 2018 No. 1 overall pick registered a 1.89 ERA with eight walks and 25 strikeouts across 19 innings in six games. He reinvented himself as a pitcher with new tricks learned in the offseason to generate whiffs at an elite rate, all while leaning on a harder-thrown version of his original calling card — the splitter.
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RHP Reese Olson
Age:25. MLB debut:2023.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:4-8, 3.53 ERA, 112⅓ IP.
Does he make All-Star team?Olson is one development away from a massive breakthrough. If he locates his 95 mph fastball, and if he sequences his swing-and-miss secondary pitches to keep hitters off balance, he can be one of the best AL pitchers, as exemplified by his 1.92 ERA in his first 10 starts in 2024 (followed by a 5.14 ERA in his final 12 starts).
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal is being interviewed during picture day of spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025.
LHP Tarik Skubal
Age:28. MLB debut:2020.
Bats/throws:Right/left.
Stats in 2024:18-4, 2.39 ERA, 192 IP.
Can he win another Cy Young?There hasn't been a back-to-back AL Cy Young winner since Pedro Martínez in 1999-2000, but it has happened five times in the National League since 2000. Skubal seems ready to repeat after a dominant spring training, logging a 2.33 ERA with one walk and 24 strikeouts across 19⅓ innings in five starts. He is the best pitcher in baseball.
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Relief pitchers (8)
RHP John Brebbia
Age:34. MLB debut:2017.
Bats/throws:Left/right.
Stats in 2024:0-6, 5.86 ERA, 55⅓ IP.
What's his role?Nobody knows how the Tigers will use Brebbia — maybe not even Hinch. He has worked in almost every role throughout his seven-year MLB career, with a career 3.80 ERA in 335 innings. His three-pitch mix continues to be a work-in-progress after tinkering in spring training.
RHP Beau Brieske
Age:26. MLB debut:2022.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:4-5, 3.59 ERA, 67⅔ IP.
Is there a next level?Brieske started games as an opener, held games as a high-leverage reliever and finished one game as a closer in the regular season, then pitched in six of the seven games in the postseason. He has the tools to be a closer, but he needs to be more consistent in his pitch execution.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Brenan Hanifee works out during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.
RHP Brenan Hanifee
Age:26. MLB debut:2023.
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Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:1-1, 1.84 ERA, 29⅓ IP.
Is he legit?Hanifee was an unsung hero in the Tigers' run to the 2024 postseason, and he earned his way back onto the roster in 2025. He doesn't generate a boatload of whiffs or strikeouts, but he limits walks and induces ground balls at elite clips. Hanifee tossed 10⅔ scoreless innings in spring training.
LHP Tyler Holton
Age:28. MLB debut:2022.
Bats/throws:Left/left.
Stats in 2024:7-2, 2.19 ERA, 94⅓ IP.
Can he do it again?Holton has a 2.15 ERA as the Tigers' best reliever for the past two seasons, ranking first among 143 pitchers with at least 170 innings — ahead of Thursday's Opening Day starters: Skubal (2.51) and Blake Snell (2.57). He even tied for 15th in AL MVP voting for his performance in 2024.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Brant Hurter throws at live batting practice during spring training at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.
LHP Brant Hurter
Age:26. MLB debut:2024.
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Bats/throws:Left/left.
Stats in 2024:6-1, 2.58 ERA, 45⅓ IP.
How many innings per game?Hurter had a 5.80 ERA as a starter in Triple-A Toledo, but when he joined the Tigers as a bulk reliever, he thrived with more success than ever before in his career, averaging more than four innings a game. He has returned to the same bullpen role in 2025, but maybe the Tigers turn him into Holton 2.0 with some one-inning bursts mixed in.
RHP Tommy Kahnle
Age:35. MLB debut:2014.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:0-2, 2.11 ERA, 42⅔ IP.
Can he close games?Kahnle is armed with a wicked changeup and plenty of experience on the biggest stage. His whiff and ground-ball rates were elite in 2024, which should open the door ninth-inning opportunities in 2025, especially since last year's closer, Jason Foley , was optioned to Triple-A Toledo.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenta Maeda practices a drill during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025.
RHP Kenta Maeda
Age:36. MLB debut:2016.
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Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:3-7, 6.09 ERA, 112⅓ IP.
Does he extend his career?Maeda had mixed results in 2024: a 7.42 ERA in 17 games as a starter and a 3.86 ERA in 12 games as a reliever. This spring, his fastball averaged 91.5 mph, up from 90.8 mph last season. He might never start again, but don't be surprised if he earns important innings as a reliever in the final season of his two-year contract.
RHP Will Vest
Age:29. MLB debut:2021.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Stats in 2024:3-4, 2.82 ERA, 70⅓ IP.
Is he more than a heater?Vest attacks the strike zone without any fear and features one of the best fastballs, but rounding out his pitch mix by improving his slider and changeup is the key to becoming great. He's already good, as his 2.88 ERA over the past two seasons ranks 30th among 286 pitchers with at least 110 innings.
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Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' 2025 Opening Day roster
