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Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
If they could go back: What Detroit Tigers pitchers would tell themselves as rookies
Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe is learning to navigate the ups and downs of the MLB level in his rookie season. No longer a top-ranked prospect after making seven starts with the Tigers, the 22-year-old is now a big leaguer — just like everyone else. Being an MLB pitcher comes with mental, physical and emotional challenges. Advertisement Every arm that sticks battles through adversity. It's part of the process. Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jackson Jobe (21) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. JEFF SEIDEL: Javier Báez continues to make magical moments for Detroit Tigers Fellow Tigers pitchers Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize and Reese Olson reflected on what they've learned throughout their careers — including the advice they'd give to themselves as rookies, if they could go back. Tarik Skubal: 'Give yourself a lot of grace' Left-hander Tarik Skubal — the reigning American League Cy Young winner — made his MLB debut in August 2020. The 28-year-old has learned to focus on daily improvements, but reflecting on his first few seasons, he wishes he had been more patient with himself throughout his early development. Advertisement It took him four years to find his elite changeup. "You can't fix everything in one day," said Skubal, now in his sixth MLB season. "You can't fix everything in a week, a month, two months, three months, even a season. Just continue to stack positive days. Get a little bit better each and every day." NEXT MAN UP: What makes Tigers special? Any hitter can play hero, including Justyn-Henry Malloy Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) looks before throwing against Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Celebrate 125 seasons of the Tigers with our new book! He posted a 5.63 ERA in 2020 and a 4.34 ERA in 2021. He also surrendered a whopping 44 home runs in 181⅓ innings during those two seasons, compared to just 33 homers in 444 innings across the four seasons since. Advertisement Back then, Skubal struggled to accept those results as part of the process, especially as a top-25 prospect in baseball. "Expectations are (expletive)," Skubal said. "You come up as a top prospect, and you're expected to just go out there and have success. You listen to the hype, and you don't go out there and do it, you feel like you failed. Looking back on it, I should have never thought I failed. You learn from it." It wasn't until early in the 2022 season that Skubal finally felt like he belonged in the big leagues. That was nearly two years after his MLB debut. And two years before he won the AL Cy Young. Advertisement "Here's what I would tell myself: You're going to be OK," said Skubal, who owns a 2.54 ERA in 55 starts in 2023-25. "Even when the results are horrible, get back to work and keep stacking good days. Over time, hopefully, it'll be in your favor — and if it's not, then you know you gave everything you had to a game. I think I can live with that." MAGIC MEN: Why 2025 Detroit Tigers remind Curtis Granderson of 2006 team that went to World Series Jack Flaherty: 'Trust your stuff over the plate' Right-hander Jack Flaherty made his MLB debut in September 2017. The 29-year-old still remembers a stretch of three starts in late April and early May during the 2018 season that helped define his career, as he bounced between the Triple-A and MLB ranks. Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty (9) throws against New York Yankees during the fifth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Back in 2018, Flaherty — who pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2017-23 — walked four batters against the Pittsburgh Pirates, prompting a demotion to Triple-A Memphis. He walked four more in his next start against the Nashville Sounds. Then, during his pregame bullpen session before facing the Oklahoma City Dodgers, he couldn't locate a single pitch, so he didn't even finish the session. Advertisement He felt lost. "I was like, 'F it,'" Flaherty said. "I just had to go compete." That day, Flaherty struck out 13 batters — and walked none — across 6⅔ innings. He was never demoted again. Flaherty would give the rookie version of himself the same advice he still gives himself now, nine years into an MLB career that features a World Series championship and four sub-3.50 ERA seasons — but not yet an All-Star appearance. "Walks are only going to hurt you," Flaherty said. "Sometimes, you get little tentative about ball in play, especially if you get hit around a couple of times. But you have to trust your stuff over the plate. That's where you're going to get guys out, especially because these guys are more disciplined, so expanding all the time doesn't work. You have to go over the plate." Advertisement Of course, it's easier said than done. That was the constant message from longtime pitching coach Mike Maddux — a 15-year MLB player with more than two decades of coaching experience, including 2018-22 with Flaherty — to every pitcher he mentored. "The hardest thing to do in this game is trust your stuff," Flaherty said. "He would tell us that every spring training." [ NEW TIGERS NEWSLETTER! Sign up for The Purr-fect Game, a weekly dose of Tigers news, numbers and analysis for Freep subscribers, here. ] Casey Mize: 'You're here for a reason' Right-hander Casey Mize didn't hesitate when discussing his MLB debut in August 2020. The 28-year-old immediately named two big names: Tim Anderson and José Abreu. Those were All-Star players with the Chicago White Sox, creating a psychological barrier because he respected them. Advertisement Maybe a little too much. "Innately, you're just like, these guys are — I mean, you don't want to say better than me," Mize said, "but there's a reason they're really good, so I need to be my best against them. So you just try to get too perfect." EL MAGO: Javier Báez is turning into star player Tigers once expected Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize (12) throws against New York Yankees during the second inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Monday, April 7, 2025. He was reluctant to challenge elite hitters in the strike zone, especially the stars he came up watching. Instead, he aimed for the edges. Nibbling led to too many walks and not enough strikes. Trouble followed. "You start missing, and then you get into 2-0 counts or 1-0 counts or 3-1 counts," Mize said, "and then no matter how good your stuff is, in those counts, it's difficult to pitch. It's just attacking the zone early against guys who are veterans and have been doing it for a while. I think that's probably the biggest thing to try to overcome." Advertisement Mize didn't walk anyone in his MLB debut against the White Sox, but over 28⅓ innings in his first season, he posted a 9.8% walk rate and a 6.99 ERA. Since then, he has logged a 3.86 ERA with a 6.3% walk rate over 305⅓ innings in four seasons. Early in 2021, Mize finally felt like he could compete against the best hitters in the world. All it took was a little bit of success. "It doesn't take years, for the most part," Mize said. "It happens over a little bit of time, but not too long. And that continues to grow. It's not like it happens and then it's done. You continue to grow." Reese Olson: 'You don't have to be too perfect' Right-hander Reese Olson called it "a pretty standard answer," but the advice he would give his rookie self is something he still works on every time he takes the mound. Advertisement The 25-year-old made his MLB debut in June 2023. Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson (45) throws against San Diego Padres during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. The learning curve remains in his third season, with 49 starts and fewer than 300 innings of experience in the big leagues. His high-whiff changeup and slider can tempt him into chasing strikeouts, which sometimes leads to too many walks. "Trust my stuff in the zone and try not to be too perfect," Olson said, "which is something I still struggle with doing. Try not to make my stuff too nasty. Just trust my stuff in the zone." Olson allowed just three runs over 10 innings in the first two games of his career, which gave him early confidence that he belonged at the highest level. Advertisement But he's had rough stretches, too. Olson tends to struggle when he tries to be too precise — aiming for whiffs on every pitch. He finds success when he locates his pitches in the strike zone and lets the outs happen, whether it's a strikeout or a weak grounder. "I had to learn," said Olson, who has never had an ERA above 3.99 in his three-year MLB career. "I had to make it a point while I was out there on the mound to tell myself to do that instead of just acting like I'm working on it throughout the week, and then once I get into the games, just revert to old habits." Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Advertisement Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What Detroit Tigers pitchers would tell themselves as rookies
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Tigers give up lead late after great Reese Olson outing in 2-1 loss to Blue Jays
TORONTO — Sometimes, usually after a loss, Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch likes to look at win-probability stats. It's a way to beat himself up while replaying the game in his head, studying the numbers, as he agonizes over different decisions. Advertisement And this 2-1 loss was particularly agonizing. The Tigers had a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning on May 17 against the Toronto Blue Jays, giving them a 77% chance of winning, according to an ESPN calculation. Then? Well. It became agonizing. How? Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson (45) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Will Vest gave up an RBI single in the eighth inning, as the Blue Jays tied the game, 1-1. Then, Hinch turned to Brennan Hanifee to pitch in the ninth inning. Vladirmire Guerrero Jr. hit a grounder to second base. Colt Keith ranged far to his left, scooped up the ball and threw him out with no problem. Up came Daulton Varsho, who doubled into right field. Hanifee got George Springer to ground out, as Varsho went to third. Hinch intentionally walked Anthony Santander to get to Ernie Clement, who singled to right for the win. Advertisement All that blew a great pitching performance by Reese Olson. On "Barbie Day" at Rogers Centre, of all days. SECRET OF REESE OLSON: That blank baby face with rosy cheeks hides a burning desire An order of Reese's pieces, please Olson was simply magnificent against the Blue Jays. He gave up just one hit over six scoreless innings, recording six strikeouts while walking just one. Was it his best performance? It depends how you measure it. It was the fourth time he has held a team scoreless. He has lasted longer in a game — he pitched 7⅓ innings against San Diego on April 23. He has recorded more strikeouts three times this season. And it was the third time that he had walked just one. Advertisement But make no mistake, he was simply dominant, and it was far better than his last outing, May 11 when he lasted just four innings and gave up three runs to Texas. MORE SEIDEL: Chet Lemon did more off the field than he ever did for the Detroit Tigers Tork on the big screen Detroit Tigers first base Spencer Torkelson (20) celebrates hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Celebrate the Tigers with our new book! In the second inning, Spencer Torkelson's at-bat against Eric Lauer was fascinating. Torkelson took a curve for a strike. Then, Torkelson pounced on a changeup, drilling it into left center, taking over the team lead with his 12th homer of the season. For the record, Riley Greene jacked his 11th homer the night before. Advertisement These two are like a buddy movie on their own: Anything you can do, I can do better. The Tigers are only one of five teams in baseball with two players already at 11 or more homers, joining the New York Yankees (Aaron Judge/Trent Grisham), Arizona Diamondbacks (Corbin Carroll/Eugenio Suarez), Boston Red Sox (Alex Bregman/Wilyer Abreu) and Chicago Cubs (Pete Crow-Armstrong/Seiya Suzuki). The old plot twist It got stressful for the Tigers in the seventh inning. After the Blue Jays put two runners on with one out against Beau Brieske, Hinch turned to Tyler Holton to face Myles Straw. Holton threw one pitch — an 89 mph cutter — to get Straw to ground into a double play to end the threat. Advertisement JAVY MAGIC: Javier Báez continues to make magical moments for Detroit Tigers Trying for the sequel Holton was still fresh, so Hinch used him in the eighth. But Holton got into a jam. After Holton walked Clement, the Blue Jays bunted him to second. The Blue Jays brought in pinch-hitter Alejandro Kirk, so Hinch countered with right-hander Will Vest. But Kirk tied up the game with an RBI single to right. Then Vest got out of the jam by getting Bo Bichette to ground out. In the ninth inning, the game was tied, 1-1. Gleyber Torres walked on four straight pitches. Greene flew out to left field and Torres was called out trying to advance to second. Advertisement The Blue Jays took care of business in the ninth with Clement's walk-off RBI. Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@ Follow him on X @seideljeff. Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers score: Reese Olson dominant, but Blue Jays rally late
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Little cramp' ends Detroit Tigers righty Reese Olson's day early vs Toronto Blue Jays
TORONTO — Detroit Tigers right-hander Reese Olson started feeling something unusual late in his outing against the Toronto Blue Jays. It was an irritation in the ring finger of his throwing hand, something that seemed to become more pronounced while throwing his changeup. 'Kind of little weird,' he said. 'Maybe a little cramp. I'm not too worried about it.' Advertisement But the Tigers took no chances. They took Olson out after he completed six innings of scoreless, one-hit ball against the Blue Jays on May 17. 'He said his ring finger on his right hand started bothering him on some of his pitches,' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said after the Blue Jays beat the Tigers with a ninth-inning walk-off single, 2-1. Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson (45) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Celebrate 125 seasons of the Tigers with our new book! Olson said he has never experienced that kind of irritation before. It was not a blister, according to Hinch. 'For whatever reason, you get these little things throughout the year, in outings here and there,' Olson said. Advertisement Olson threw 85 pitches (54 of them strikes). But Hinch said Olson's pitch count had nothing to do with the end of his outing. It was the finger. 'I think I probably would have been fine but played it safe,' Olson said. QUIET RIOT: Secret of Reese Olson? That blank baby face with rosy cheeks hides a burning desire The news about the finger was the only negative for Olson after this outing. He was simply magnificent against the Blue Jays, recording six strikeouts while walking just one. 'He was really good,' Hinch said. 'Early on, he was kind of going toe-to-toe with their pitching staff and getting his outs. He got some good double play balls which were important. He used his stuff effectively. So overall, he was pretty good.' Advertisement It was the fourth time this season that Olson has held a team scoreless. And it was far better than his last outing on May 11, when he lasted just four innings and gave up three runs against Texas. 'I was just commanding them a little bit better than I did my last outing,' Olson said. 'When I can stick the four-seam and sinkers down and kind of get them to one side of the plate and command it well, they have to respect that. That's when I get the swing and miss on those pitches.' The Tigers preach throwing strikes and this was a prime example of why. Against Texas, Olson struggled with his four-seam fastball command, which created a ripple of negativity with his other pitches. 'So they don't really have to respect the off-speed stuff,' Olson said. 'Then I made some mistakes off of the off-speed, and they took advantage of it last time.' But against the Blue Jays, it was the opposite. He commanded both his fastballs and everything else worked off of that. Advertisement 'Today was more of sticking the four seam down and away to lefties and the sinker getting it in there a little bit to righties,' he said. 'Then once I establish that, that's when they have to respect the off-speed stuff.' MORE SEIDEL: Chet Lemon did more off the field than he ever did for the Detroit Tigers His only walk was a 12-pitch battle against catcher Tyler Heineman. 'A frustrating at-bat,' Olson said. But it was wiped away by a double play. Overall, Olson was happy with his fastball command. 'When I can command both my heaters, it kind of opens up the change up and the slider to where they have to respect the heater,' Olson said. 'So that's when I get the chases on everything else.' Advertisement Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@ Follow him on X @seideljeff. Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers 'played it safe' by pulling Reese Olson vs Blue Jays
Reuters
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Ernie Clement's big hit lifts Blue Jays over Tigers
May 17 - Ernie Clement hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Detroit Tigers 2-1 on Saturday afternoon. Brenan Hanifee (2-1) allowed Daulton Varsho's one-out double to right in the ninth. Varsho took third on a groundout. Pinch hitter Anthony Santander was intentionally walked to set up Clement's walk-off hit to give Toronto a split of the first two games of a three-game series. Spencer Torkelson hit a solo homer for the Tigers, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Detroit right-hander Reese Olson was superb but did not factor into the decision despite allowing no runs, one hit and one walk while striking out six over six innings. Torkelson led off the second with his 12th homer of the season, a smash to left center on a belt-high changeup in the middle of the plate from left-hander Eric Lauer. Colt Keith followed with a double but Lauer ended the inning with three flyouts. Lauer allowed one run, three hits and no walks while striking out five in three innings before Yariel Rodriguez replaced him in the fourth. Olson allowed a single to his first hitter of the game, Bo Bichette, and then faced the minimum number of batters with the help of a double play through the sixth effectively using a changeup. Detroit's Beau Brieske took over in the seventh and allowed a leadoff walk to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He walked George Springer with one out and was replaced by Tyler Holton, who induced a first-pitch double-play grounder to shortstop from pinch hitter Myles Straw. Toronto's Yimi Garcia pitched a perfect eighth inning. Holton walked Clement to open the home eighth. Clement took second on a sacrifice bunt by Nathan Lukes. Will Vest replaced Holton to face pinch hitter Alejandro Kirk, who stroked an RBI single down the right-field line. Toronto's Jeff Hoffman (4-2) walked Gleyber Torres to lead off the ninth. Torres was thrown out at second by Lukes after tagging up on Riley Greene's fly out to deep left. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ernie Clement has game-winning hit in 9th inning as Blue Jays beat Tigers 2-1
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Eric Lauer (56) works against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson (45) works against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Detroit Tigers first base Spencer Torkelson (20) hits a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Detroit Tigers' Spencer Torkelson (20) is greeted in the dugout by teammates after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Detroit Tigers' Spencer Torkelson (20) is greeted in the dugout by teammates after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Eric Lauer (56) works against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson (45) works against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Detroit Tigers first base Spencer Torkelson (20) hits a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Detroit Tigers' Spencer Torkelson (20) is greeted in the dugout by teammates after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) TORONTO (AP) — Ernie Clement hit a game-winning single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 2-1 on Saturday. Jeff Hoffman (4-2) worked one inning for the win as Toronto stopped Detroit's winning streak at four. Advertisement Trailing 1-0, Toronto tied it in the eighth on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Alejandro Kirk. Tigers right-hander Reese Olson walked one and struck out six in six innings. Bo Bichette had a leadoff single against Olson in the first inning, but the Blue Jays didn't get another hit off the Tigers right-hander. Tyler Heineman drew a leadoff walk in the third, but was erased on a double play. Olson retired the final 11 batters he faced. After Beau Brieske walked two batters in the seventh, Tyler Holton came on and got pinch hitter Myles Straw to ground into a double play on the first pitch. Holton left with one out and a runner at second in the eighth. Pinch hitter Kirk greeted Will Vest with a game-tying single. Advertisement Spencer Torkelson opened the second inning with a 399-foot home run off left-hander Eric Lauer. The homer was Torkelson's 12th. He hit 10 home runs in 2024. Key moment Daulton Varsho hit a one-out double off Brenan Hanifee (2-1) in the ninth and advanced to third on a groundout. Pinch-hitter Anthony Santander was intentionally walked before Clement lined an RBI single to right. Key stat The Tigers lost for the second time in their past 10 road games. Up next Undefeated rookie RHP Jackson Jobe (3-0, 4.32 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Tigers in Sunday's series finale. RHP José Berríos (1-1, 4.33) goes for the Blue Jays. ___ AP MLB:
