Locked On Tigers - Daily Podcast On The Detroit Tigers · Locked On Podcast Network, Scott Bentley

2026 Detroit Tigers Season Preview: Putting It ALL Together?

March 26, 2026·37 min·3 clips

Scott Bentley predicts the 2026 Detroit Tigers will win the AL Central and make a deep playoff run.

Bentley opens by establishing opening day as his format for an annual preview, noting this is roughly his fourth or fifth such episode. He chooses 'putting it all together' as his theme for 2026, reflecting genuine expectation rather than optimistic framing. He recaps the prior two seasons: 2024 saw the Tigers below .500 for most of the year before a miracle run to the playoffs, while 2025 had them as the best team in baseball for two-thirds of the year before nearly missing the postseason and then losing a 15-inning winner-take-all game to the Mariners. Bentley argues expectations are now a privilege the Tigers have earned through back-to-back playoff appearances. He outlines the roster's depth, noting one-through-nine the Tigers can field around league-average hitters at every spot, which he says is unusual in modern baseball. The pitching staff is headlined by what Bentley calls the best pitcher in the world in Tarek Skubal, backed by Framber Valdez as a second ace-caliber arm. The bullpen is described as the first in baseball history to enter a season with three pitchers coming off 20-save seasons. Organizational depth has improved, with prospects like Carter Montero, Wenceel Perez, and Max Clark available if injuries occur. Bentley identifies several players with room to grow on the offensive side: Riley Green needs to cut strikeouts, Spencer Torkelson needs to take a step forward, Kerry Carpenter needs to improve his on-base percentage, and Colt Keith has not yet approached his expected ceiling. He then presents the pessimistic scenario: Skubal traded by deadline, veterans declining, core hitters stagnating, and the team finishing around .500. He does not dismiss this scenario. Bentley explicitly names Skubal's almost certain departure after the season as the central context for 2026, arguing it explains every offseason move. His 91-win projection is predicated on deadline acquisitions if the Tigers are in contention, acknowledging the underlying talent level is closer to 84-87 wins. He identifies the Royals as the main competition in the AL Central. Closing concerns include Casey Mize's spring, the back three of the rotation, bullpen depth beyond the top options, and whether Kerry Carpenter will ever draw enough walks to unlock his power. Bentley closes with an appeal to avoid overreacting to early-season stretches, predicting both breakout hot starts and poor Aprils among current roster members.

As heard by us

A grounded season preview that keeps Detroit's upside and doubts in the same frame.

Locked On Tigers uses opening day as its season preview checkpoint, and Scott Bentley stays with the same practical question throughout: does the middle of the order give Detroit enough lift to turn a decent lineup into something more?

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the Tigers' 2026 ceiling without the fluff.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Locked On Tigers - Daily Podcast On The Detroit Tigers