A couple years ago, the Tigers were in a similar spot to the Nationals, but after making changes they are among baseballs elite
Right now, the Detroit Tigers have the best record in the American League and the second best record in baseball. They are a team on the rise with a strong mix of youth and experience. The Tigers are also set up for years to come, with arguably the best farm system in baseball.
However, they were nothing like this in 2022. In fact, they were in a similar position as the Nationals, just without a World Series title to soften the blow of their failing rebuild. From 2017 to 2023, the Tigers finished under .500 every year. They also missed the playoffs every year from 2015 to 2023.
Tigers Rebuild Stuck:
It was a rudderless ship led by an old school GM in Al Avila. Avila was Dave Dombrowski’s right hand man during the Tigers glory days in the early 2010’s. When Dombrowski was let go by the Tigers in 2015, Avila replaced him. He was tasked with trying to turn around an aging team led by veterans like Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera.
Eventually, the Tigers realized they had to rebuild. Like the Nationals, Detroit bottomed out to get high end prospects in the draft. Those tanking years allowed the Tigers to draft the likes of Casey Mize, Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson. In 2018, they also stumbled upon a ninth round gem from Seattle University named Tarik Skubal.
In fact, a lot of the Tigers best players in 2025 were guys acquired by Avila. However, in 2022, the Tigers regressed from 77-85 to 66-96 after spending big in the offseason. This got Al Avila fired midseason and the Tigers looked like a franchise in terminal decline.
Players like Torkelson, Greene and Mize were struggling badly and the Tigers looked at least half a decade from sniffing the playoffs again. After that 2022 season, the Tigers decided to hire a bright young baseball mind from the Giants in Scott Harris. Harris, who was just 36 at the time was tasked with bringing fresh new ideas to an organization that had become stale.
A New Voice:
Since Harris has taken over, the Tigers have gone from bottom feeders to true contenders. After going 78-84 in his first year, Harris’ Tigers went on a miraculous run in 2024 to secure a playoff spot. It was a wild ride where Tigers fans truly fell in love with their team again.
The “Gritty Tigs” used their tenacity and smart tactics to get the most out of their talent. With a rotation that was basically Tarik Skubal and friends, manager AJ Hinch relied heavily on his bullpen which was full of lesser known guys who Scott Harris saw something in.
Players most fans had not heard of such as Will Vest, Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter were getting huge outs in the playoffs. That is a testament to the development program Scott Harris put together and the coaching they got from AJ Hinch and pitching coach Chris Fetter.
Now, with guys like Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize either breaking out or taking their game to the next level, the Tigers now have to stars to go along with the smarts and grit. They are fifth in baseball in OPS and tied for 10th in ERA. At 54-33, the Tigers are truly among baseballs elite squads.
What the Nationals can Learn:
There is a lot for the Nationals to learn when looking at this. First of all, it shows how much development and having the right GM matters. A lot of the Tigers current pieces were there when Scott Harris took over. However, Al Avila and his team did not know how to get the best out of these guys.
Another thing Harris is doing that Mike Rizzo is not is building out the roster. The Tigers have so many useful players to go along with their stars. Guys like Dillon Dingler, Zach McKinstry and Wenceel Perez do not get a ton of headlines, but they have all been productive in their roles. The Nationals have the stars, but they go not have these types of players, or at least they do not have enough of them.
The Nats roster is made up of mostly stars and scrubs, which is a sign of poor roster building. Detroit has spent more money than the Nats, bringing in the likes of Jack Flaherty and Gleyber Torres this offseason, but that is not why they are good. They are good because they have a well rounded team with stars at the top and solid players littered throughout.
Even with all this success on the big league roster, the Tigers farm system outshines the Nationals as well. The Tigers have 5 top 100 prospects to the Nationals 3, with Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark both ranking inside the top 12.
Doing Things the Smart Way:
The 2024 draft was a perfect example of the Tigers showing the Nationals how it is done. Detroit had the 11th pick while the Nats had the 10th pick. At pick 10, the Nats tried to outsmart the room, reaching on Seaver King. With the next pick, the Tigers laughed to the bank selecting Bryce Rainer, who was higher than King on just about every board.
Despite Rainer being out for the season now after a freak shoulder injury, he is a top 50 prospect while King is not even a top 100 guy. It was an example of a smart organization taking advantage of a not so smart one.
I am tired of that happening to the Nationals. We are where the Tigers were in 2022. The Nats have plenty of promising pieces, just like the Tigers did. However, like the 2022 Tigers, we do not have a young, forward thinking GM who is using all the best development tools.
Just the other day, a story came out that the Nationals were one of the few teams not to use VR technology. Over the last few years, we have seen too many stories like this where the Nationals are behind the curve. This is not an organization on the cutting edge.
Can the Nats be the New Tigers:
Spending alone will not fix the problems the Nationals currently face. The Avila Tigers also prove that. Heading into the 2022 season, the Tigers brought in big money acquisitions in Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez. As we know, that did not turn their fortunes. I fear something similar could happen with Mike Rizzo at the helm.
Yes, the Lerner’s need to open up their checkbook, but more than anything, this is an organization in desperate need of new ideas. If those new ideas come, success could come before too long. Yes, the AL Central is not as tough as the NL East, but if you do things the right way, success will come.
With the Tigers in town, the Nationals brass should take a page out of their book. Not too long ago, this was a franchise mired in the midst of a failed rebuild. However, with new leadership and fresh ideas, they are now one of baseball’s rising powerhouses that will be a force to reckoned with. If they Nationals play their cards right, they could be what the Tigers are now in a couple years.