The Detroit Tigers have emerged as one of the best teams in Major League Baseball through 60 games.
With a record of 39-21, they have the most wins in the league and will look to continue their hot streak in a four-game series against an AL Central rival in the Chicago White Sox.
With one of the best starting pitcher rotations in the majors, the Tigers are looking to improve from their 2024 run that saw them advance to the ALDS before getting put out by a division rival in the Cleveland Guardians.
The emergence of players like outfielder Riley Greene, first baseman Spencer Torkelson, and first-year Tigers second baseman Gleybor Torres have helped lead the team to the best record in the league.
Tigers announce the return of outfielder Parker Meadows
Although it seems the Tigers are doing just fine with the lineup they have, the team announced that 25-year-old outfielder Parker Meadows is set to make his 2025 debut.
Meadows missed the first 60 games of the 2025 season after suffering an injury in his upper right arm during Spring Training. It resulted in him being placed on the 6-day injured list to start the season.
He made his MLB debut in 2023 but has only played in 119 total games for Detroit in a two-year span.
In the short amount of playing time, Meadows has shown potential to be an elite player in the big leagues.
Throughout his short time in the MLB, he has a .241 batting average, .317 on-base percentage, and a .743 OPS while hitting 12 home runs, 41 RBI, and stealing 17 bases.
Meadows is expected to play for the Tigers when they open their series against the White Sox on Monday.
His return resulted in the Tigers optioning Justyn-Henry Malloy to Triple-A Toledo and designated pitcher Ryan Cusick for assignment.
Javier Baez is currently playing in his fourth season as a Detroit Tiger and his 12th in the major leagues.
The 32-year-old veteran began his career with the Chicago Cubs in 2014 and played a key role in Chicago’s 2016 World Series championship.
His best seasons came in 2018 and 2019, when he made back-to-back All-Star teams. In 2018, he finished second in National League MVP voting and captured a Silver Slugger Award.
Midway through the 2021 season, Baez was traded to the New York Mets. That offseason, he signed a six-year, $140 million deal with Detroit amid high expectations that he’d anchor the Tigers’ infield for years to come.
Baez immediately struggled in Detroit, and by his third season, his deal was widely considered one of the worst contracts in baseball.
In 2025, however, he has recaptured much of his prime form while learning center field for the first time in his career.
Reflecting on his early struggles as a Tiger, Baez admitted, “To be honest, I kind of got away from work when I was feeling good, and then my body started bothering me a little bit.”
Last week, Baez earned his third career All-Star appearance. Through 77 games, he’s batting .276 with a .760 OPS—personal bests in Detroit—while hitting ten home runs and driving in 39 runs. His new defensive versatility has given the Tigers another option in the outfield.
Baez’s resurgence has fueled Detroit’s emergence as powerhouse this year. The Tigers currently have the best record in the American League at 59-35 and lead the AL Central by 13 games as the All-Star break approaches.
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