Wojo: Tigers flash glimpses of future as playoff light fades

Detroit — The Tigers aren't looking ahead to the future, at least not officially. The playoffs are almost out of sight, if not quite out of mind.

But on nights like this, there are glimpses, micro-views of the big-picture goal. The Tigers have played 11 rookies this season, and four of them were key in a much-needed 4-1 victory over Tampa Bay Tuesday night at Comerica Park. The starting pitcher, Jackson Jobe , is 24 but not a rookie. In only his fourth start in 14 months after Tommy John surgery, he expanded his arsenal, maintained his composure and took a step forward.

That's what it's about now for the Tigers (62-70), who snapped a six-game losing streak that just about squashed their faint playoff hopes. The A.L. remains muddled with mediocrity, so the Tigers are only four games out of the wild card, but trail six teams. Because they've defied ridiculous odds before, we're legally required to note their chances currently stand at 3.8%.

Yes, that's better than the 0.2% odds they overcame in 2024. But the chances of overcoming astronomical odds twice in three years have to be more astronomical. With 30 games left, there's no sense belaboring the obvious, not when the future is up now. We'll have ample opportunity to pick through all that was squandered, and the nasty mistakes that were made.

In the meantime, the Tigers' young talent is gathering expedited experience. There was rookie reliever Drew Sommers throwing 1.2 shutout innings to earn his first MLB victory and lower his ERA to 2.93. There was rookie Hao-Yu Lee lacing a two-out RBI single in the seventh to expand the lead to 4-1. There was Kevin McGonigle, playing flawless defense at third and short, the favorite to win A.L. Rookie of the Year.

And there was rookie centerfielder Max Clark slamming his second career home run — his first in Comerica Park — and racing around the bases so quickly, he almost ran up the back of runner Javy Báez.

"I completely blacked out, it was a really cool moment," Clark said. "I looked up and I could see (Báez's) number within touching distance. I started to panic and slowed down a little bit."

Clark, 21, runs as if trying make up for lost time, or trying to catch his best friend, McGonigle. Clark, the No. 3 overall pick in 2023, is hitting .247 with a .704 OPS, and already looks like a speedy mainstay in center field. He prides himself on his defense to the point he sounded fairly disgusted after he overran a hit by Liam Hicks in the fourth inning, leading to the Rays ' only run. Hicks was awarded a double, but even Clark knew it was an error.

"It took a weird hop, but it's unacceptable regardless," Clark said. "It's almost embarrassing to be completely honest."

Clark is honest and glib, a spark plug in every way. AJ Hinch loved that Clark was so annoyed by his misplay he turned into Mad Max.

"It fired me up that he's pissed," Hinch said. "He needs to make that play, and he's not gonna give himself any grace. That's the high standard we need. He plays a very fast center field. He's going to be really good because of that. He goes home with a learning lesson, and makes my job a little easier."

Lots of lessons are being learned by the Tigers, young and old. In the offseason, they'll need to show they grasped something. It starts with president of baseball operations Scott Harris, who will have to explain his signings and acquisitions — and lack thereof — and how the Tigers' offense and bullpen became so maddeningly inconsistent. The Tigers have ridden one of the craziest rollercoasters in memory, rising from 16 games under .500 to within a whiff of first place, and then down again. The latest rough stretch coincided with the loss of Riley Greene to a hamstring injury, with the Tigers 3-10 in his absence.

None of the rookies this season were around for the 2024 miracle, so they're just trying to navigate the daily grind. And even as the Tigers fall out of the playoff picture, there's valuable experience to be gained.

Jobe was so annoyed by his "godawful" change-up in his last rocky outing against the White Sox , he worked on ramping up his curveball velocity. He's healthy but still shaking off rust, and threw 86 pitches in 4.1 innings. He battled a potent lineup and a Rays team with the best record in the A.L., striking out four, walking three and escaping a base-loaded jam in the fourth when Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead.

"I'm just figuring out what works, trying different things, making some changes when I can," said Jobe, the third overall pick in 2021. "Today the curveball was very big for me, something I've been struggling with. It kind of turned into a real weapon, in my opinion. It definitely felt like a momentum shifter, potentially. We still have a lot of good energy in this clubhouse, hopefully we can turn it around."

Potentially and hopefully are the salient words for the Tigers now. Potential is what the Tigers are hoping to cash in, if not now, soon. You see glimpses of the confidence that made Jobe such a touted prospect, along with his fastball that touches 100. You see a star in McGonigle. You also see holes on a roster that will require some veteran help.

We'll see one wayward piece of their past this weekend when Tarik Skubal comes to town with the Dodgers . Has that trade cost the Tigers in the short term? Of course. But when Hinch hears his young guys beating themselves up for miscues, vowing to get better, his mood brightens, ever so slightly.

"You gotta let them grow up," Hinch said. "Sometimes, at this level, at this time of year, and where our team is, it's hard to recognize that."

It's not hard to recognize the potential of the Tigers' young players. It's also not hard to recognize the current odds, and the reality of a season in which way too many opportunities were wasted.