The Detroit Tigers exceeded expectations in 2021.
There were many noteworthy moments last year, even though the Tigers didn’t make the playoffs or play meaningful baseball down the stretch. It was a season of improvement, as manager AJ Hinch instilled his winning culture.
“I’m proud of this group,” Hinch said after the Oct. 3 season finale. “We asked them to develop a winning mindset. We asked them to buy into what we were doing as a (coaching) staff, and the players really did it. … Ultimately, the season was progress. I’m never going to celebrate too much because we’re going home, but I think it was a great year.”
Here are 35 of the key moments from 2021:
Jan. 5: Tigers sign Grossman
A two-year, $10 million contract for a veteran outfielder without more than 11 homers in a single season might not seem important. But the Tigers hadn’t made a multi-year signing since the 2015-16 offseason, when they inked Jordan Zimmermann, Mike Pelfrey, Mark Lowe and Justin Upton. Until Robbie Grossman’s deal, the organization opted for one-year solutions for the team’s ailing lineup during the rebuild. He hit 23 homers, stole 20 bases, finished fourth in MLB with 98 walks and led the Tigers with a .357 on-base percentage in a career-high 156 games.
Feb. 22: Hinch sets tone for future
“It’s about winning,” Hinch said, ahead of his team’s first full squad workout in spring training. On this day, Grossman called Hinch “the best communicator I’ve been around in this game,” an ode to how quickly Hinch won over his clubhouse. He had full control from the get-go, as the Tigers immediately bought into his “win the day” mantra.
April 1: Miggy’s Opening Day surprise
The Tigers strolled into Comerica Park for a snowy Opening Day clash with Cleveland, now called the Guardians. Miguel Cabrera, in his 19th MLB season, crushed a solo home run in his first at-bat of the season. It was MLB’s first homer of the year. The Tigers won, 3-2, as Matthew Boyd beat Shane Bieber, the 2020 American League Cy Young winner. Cabrera also played first base for the first time since June 18, 2019.
April 4: Rule 5 draftee shines
Akil Baddoo, selected in the 2020 Rule 5 draft, defied the odds by earning a spot on the Opening Day roster. He made his debut in the series finale with Cleveland and hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in his first plate appearance. The next day, Baddoo hit a grand slam off the Minnesota Twins, the team that chose not to protect him from the draft. And the following day, he beat the Twins with a walk-off single in the 10th inning. Baddoo, now 23, hit . 259 with 13 homers and seven triples in 124 games in 2021.
April 12: Tigers sweep Astros in Hinch’s return to Houston
Hinch made his return to Minute Maid Park for the first time since being fired as the Houston Astros’ manager due to his involvement in the 2017 sign-stealing scandal. He received cheers of adoration from the fans. “It’s home for me,” Hinch said. The Tigers swept the eventual 2021 World Series runners-up, thanks to wins from Casey Mize, Matthew Boyd and Michal Fulmer. They beat Zack Greinke, Jake Odorizzi and Lance McCullers. Mize had the best start of his MLB career in Game 1 of the series, throwing seven scoreless innings.
May 7: The end of a miserable start
The Tigers were terrible in April and early May, dropping to 9-24 with a league-worst 67 wRC+ and .268 on-base percentage after a loss to Twins. They had been smacked around since April 15, losing series to the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. From April 15 to May 7, the Tigers had a 3-18 record and a .197 batting average.
May 18: Turnbull’s no-hitter highlights 9-2 stretch
Spencer Turnbull pitched the eighth no-hitter in franchise history and the first since Justin Verlander in 2011. He struck out nine and walked two — Jarred Kelenic in the fourth inning and Jose Marmolejos in the ninth — in a 5-0 win against the Seattle Mariners. “Probably the best day of my life,” Turnbull said. The 29-year-old had a 2.88 ERA, but his season ended in June due to an injury. He underwent Tommy John surgery in late July.
May 28: Mize deals in May
The Tigers improved to 20-31 when Grossman launched a two-run walk-off home run in the 10th inning for a 3-2 win against the Yankees. It was an overcast Friday night at Comerica Park, with 16 mph winds and a 45-degree temperature at first pitch. The atmosphere felt like late October baseball, and the game featured an October-like matchup: Mize vs. Gerrit Cole. Mize delivered five innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts; Cole logged six innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts. The strong performance capped Mize’s incredible May: a 1.74 ERA in five starts. He credited pitching coach Chris Fetter for his success.
May 30: Yankees swept in Detroit for first time in 21 years
Riding momentum from Mize’s consistency and Grossman’s power swing, the Tigers swept the Yankees in Detroit for the first time since May 12-14, 2000, the first season at Comerica Park. “This was just a bad ending to a terrible weekend, and we got to get better,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. Turnbull and rookie Tarik Skubal won the second and third games, respectively, as the Tigers got within nine games of a .500 record. Detroit finished May with a 14-13 record for its first winning month since May 2018.
June 5: Skubal’s 11 Ks
Skubal set a career high with 11 strikeouts in a 4-3 win over the White Sox. He punched out at least four batters in 22 consecutive games — the longest stretch by a rookie since 1893, according to the Elias Sports Bureau — from May 7-Sept. 12. He had a 3.14 ERA in June and finished the season with a 4.34 ERA and 164 strikeouts, a franchise rookie record, in 149⅓ innings.
June 8: Full capacity at Comerica Park
The state of Michigan allowed 20% capacity for outdoor stadiums and arenas due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so just 8,000 fans were allowed in Comerica Park for Opening Day. On June 8, the Tigers were allowed to open their stadium to full capacity. There were 9,081 fans at that day’s game against the Mariners, but the attendance jumped to 15,000 a few days later. Comerica Park averaged 13,612 fans per game in 2021.
June 17: Manning’s MLB debut
Due to injuries to Turnbull and Boyd, the Tigers went to Triple-A Toledo for reinforcements. Matt Manning, the No. 9 overall pick in 2016, had an 8.07 ERA in seven starts for the Mud Hens, but the Tigers decided to continue his development in the big leagues. The second batter Manning faced in his MLB debut was Shohei Ohtani, the 2021 AL MVP. Manning allowed two runs in his five innings with three strikeouts. The Tigers lost, 7-5, to the Los Angeles Angels for a 29-40 record.
June 30: Tigers sweep doubleheader in Cleveland
The Tigers capped a 7-3 stretch, improving to 36-45, with a doubleheader sweep against Cleveland for the first time since August 1986. It was the Tigers’ first doubleheader sweep in Cleveland since September 1977. A few days earlier, on June 27, Grossman’s walk-off sacrifice bunt gave the Tigers a 2-1 win over the Astros in the 10th inning to split the four-game series at Comerica Park. The Tigers finished 5-2 against the Astros in 2021.
July 2: Inning limits begin
In an 8-2 loss to the White Sox, Mize tossed 56 pitches over three innings. “I knew it was coming,” Mize said. “It’s not something that was dropped on me last minute. This has been part of the plan.” The Tigers officially began limiting Mize’s innings, which happened in nine total starts from July 2-24 and Sept. 5-29. (The Tigers also limited Skubal’s innings for his five starts in September.) Mize finished the year with a 3.71 ERA in a team-high 150⅓ innings in 30 starts. “We were able to map this out with the short starts and get me to the finish line,” Mize said. “We made it, so mission accomplished there.”
July 5: Peralta’s revival
Injuries and Mize’s innings limits often taxed the bullpen, so the Tigers were overjoyed when 32-year-old Wily Peralta — making his fourth start since 2017 — fired seven scoreless innings in a 7-3 win against the Texas Rangers. It was his first outing of seven scoreless since Aug. 14, 2015. Peralta, who signed a minor-league deal in February, posted a 3.07 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) last season.
July 11: Pre-All-Star Game slump
The Tigers were cruising through early July when they crashed into the Twins at Target Field leading up to the All-Star break. A 40-47 record on July 7 meant sitting 3½ games behind second-place Cleveland, but losing four games in a row to the Twins set the Tigers back. On July 11, the Tigers lost 12-9 to the Twins in extra innings to conclude the first half of the regular season. Detroit had a 40-51 record at the All-Star break.
July 13: Soto pitches in All-Star Game
Gregory Soto, the Tigers’ lone All-Star, entered for the AL in the fifth inning and allowed a one-out solo home run to Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto for the NL’s first run. Soto had a 3.39 ERA with 18 saves, 40 walks and 76 strikeouts in 63⅔ innings. Hinch officially named him the closer after the season.
July 17: Tigers heat up post-ASG
The Tigers came out of the All-Star break and swept the Twins in a three-game series at Comerica Park. Then, Hinch’s squad swept the Rangers in a four-game series. Detroit had a seven-game winning streak and a 47-51 record. The Royals silenced the winning streak, as the Tigers were swept in three games at Kauffman Stadium.
July 29: Third-straight winning month
The Tigers — with a 50-55 record — clinched their third-straight winning month with a 6-2 win against the Baltimore Orioles. On this day, Mize allowed one unearned run in seven innings. The Tigers dropped their final two games of the month to the Orioles but still finished 14-12. One of the best wins happened July 28, a 17-14 victory over the Twins. The Tigers scored 17 runs without a home run for the first time since 1961.
July 30: Trade deadline
Opposing teams showed plenty of interest in the Tigers at the 2021 trade deadline. But the Tigers made just one move, trading reliever Daniel Norris, who became a free agent at the end of the season, to the Milwaukee Brewers for pitching prospect Reese Olson. Norris had a 6.64 ERA with 15 walks and 18 strikeouts in 20⅓ innings for the Brewers; Olson had a 3.28 ERA with 16 walks and 35 strikeouts in 35⅔ innings for High-A West Michigan (two starts) and Double-A Erie (five starts).
Aug. 2: Haase named July’s AL Rookie of the Month
Eric Haase, then a 28-year-old rookie, completed July with a .265 batting average, three doubles, nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 23 games. His best game during this stretch occurred July 3, when he went 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs in an 11-5 win over the White Sox. He also crushed a ninth-inning game-tying grand slam July 27, sending the Tigers to extras and a 6-5 win over the Twins the 11th inning. Haase hit .231 with 22 homers, 61 RBIs, 26 walks and 119 strikeouts in 98 games.
Aug. 3: Owner interested in spending again
Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch spoke at Historic Hamtramck Stadium, where the Negro National League’s Detroit Stars used to play, and made a statement about his organization. The question: Will the Tigers spend for top-tier free agents in the offseason? “Undoubtedly that could happen this winter,” Ilitch responded. (At this point, it was clear the Tigers needed to upgrade the shortstop position.)
Aug. 7: Schoop inks contract extension
Jonathan Schoop re-signed ahead of the 2021 season, agreeing to a one-year, $4.5 million contract. On Aug. 7, the Tigers made official a two-year, $15 million contract extension, including an opt-out after 2022. Schoop has played two seasons in Detroit and could stick around as the team’s second baseman through the 2023 campaign. He hit .278 with 22 homers and 105 wRC+ in 156 games.
Aug. 22: Miggy hits No. 500
Cabrera became the 28th player in major league history to hit 500 home runs, taking Toronto Blue Jays starter Steven Matz deep to right-center field in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. He currently sits 13 hits from No. 3,000, a club exclusive to 32 players in MLB history. Just six players have reached both plateaus: Albert Pujols, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro and Alex Rodriguez.
Aug. 28: Hinch’s message
“We’re going to reestablish ourselves as a winning franchise and develop a winning culture,” Hinch said from the Comerica Park dugout when asked about adding free agents in the offseason. “If you want to be a part of it, then you’ll come. If you don’t, then we’ll beat you.”
Aug. 31: Menzin, Sartori promoted in front office
The Tigers announced promotions within the baseball operations department: Sam Menzin and Jay Sartori earned vice president/assistant general manager tags. “We’re looking to be a more progressive organization,” Tigers general manager Al Avila said. Less than one month later, the Tigers hired Ryan Garko as the club’s vice president of player development.
Sept. 10: Miggy’s hits
Cabrera singled off Tampa Bay Rays starter Michael Wacha in the second and fourth innings at Comerica Park for a streak of nine consecutive hits. When the Tigers — 67-75 after the win vs. Tampa Bay — were in Pittsburgh at PNC Park, Cabrera started his offensive tear and passed Ichiro Suzuki for the all-time MLB lead for hits in interleague play. Cabrera has 375 of them in his career. His nine hits in nine plate appearances marked the longest streak for a Tiger since Walt Dropo tied the MLB record with 12 hits in 1952.
Sept. 21: Tigers topple MLB’s best
The Tigers chalked up an 8-3 record during an 11-game stretch against playoff teams: the Rays (Sept. 10-12), Brewers (Sept. 14-15), Rays (Sept. 16-19) and White Sox (Sept. 20-21). Detroit improved to 73-78 overall, as well as 64-54 since May 8 and 33-27 since the All-Star break. On this day, Harold Castro put the Tigers ahead of the White Sox, 4-3, in the eighth inning with a two-out single off Craig Kimbrel. Alex Lange recorded the first save of his MLB career.
Oct. 2: Third-place finish
Two games from second place in the AL Central, the Tigers sputtered down the stretch with a 3-7 record in their final 10 games. The White Sox (93-69) won the division, followed by Cleveland (80-82), the Tigers (77-85), Royals (74-88) and Twins (73-89). The Tigers were 16 games back in the division and 15 games back in the AL wild card.
Nov. 3: Trading for Barnhart
The Tigers were the first team to strike when the offseason began, trading with the Cincinnati Reds to acquire two-time Gold Glove catcher Tucker Barnhart in exchange for infield prospect Nick Quintana. “I think the best version of Tucker Barnhart on the baseball field is now and in the future,” Barnhart said. “I’m really excited as hell to be part of this organization.”
Nov. 9: Candy wins 2021 Tiger of the Year
Third baseman Jeimer Candelario became the first place since Cabrera in the 2012 and 2013 seasons to secure consecutive Tiger of the Year awards. Candelario, the seventh back-to-back winner in franchise history, led the Tigers with 3.2 WAR in 2021. He also hit .271 with 42 doubles (tied for most in MLB), 16 homers and 67 RBIs in 149 games.
Nov. 16: Tigers sign Rodriguez to five-year deal
The Tigers signed Eduardo Rodriguez to a five-year, $77 million contract, with an opt-out after the second season and a no-trade clause. He pitched 32 games (31 starts) in 2021, posting a 4.74 ERA with 47 walks and 185 strikeouts. Rodriguez won the 2018 World Series with the Red Sox and finished sixth in 2019 AL Cy Young voting.
Nov. 30: Sending Boyd into free agency
Boyd knew this move was coming ahead of time. The Tigers chose not to tender him a contract for 2022, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. “I don’t think that door has closed,” Boyd said about returning to Detroit. “If it doesn’t work out this year, I don’t think it’s closed in the future. I love the organization.” Boyd had a 4.87 ERA in seven years with the organization from 2015-21. The left-hander registered a 3.89 ERA in 15 starts last season, cut short by an elbow injury in June and flexor tendon surgery in September. He plans to return to the mound in June 2022.
Dec. 1: Tigers get their shortstop
The Tigers signed Javier Baez to a six-year, $140 million contract, with an opt-out after the second season and award bonuses that resemble Cabrera’s contract details. Baez, a 2016 World Series champion, hit .265 with 31 home runs, 87 RBIs, 28 walks and 184 strikeouts in 138 games last season. In 2018, he finished second in National League MVP voting. “This is a turning point for the Tigers,” Ilitch said. “Signing a player like Javy sends a message to the baseball world and to our fans that the Tigers are here to compete.” Less than 12 hours after Baez’s contract became official, MLB owners locked out the players upon the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement.
Dec. 21: Bartee dies at 49
Tigers first base coach Kimera Bartee, who played six years in the major leagues and four seasons with the Tigers, died at age 49 at his father’s home in Omaha, Nebraska. Medical examiners discovered a large tumor in his brain. “The thoughts and prayers of everyone in the organization are with Kimera’s family and friends,” Avila said, “and his memory and spirit will never be forgotten.”
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