The Tigers are hanging around the American League wild card picture, and Dillon Dingler has become one of the biggest reasons they’re still in the fight.
Detroit is sitting within a game of the final AL playoff spot, and Dingler has been piling up the kind of production that puts him in some pretty rare company. Per Detroit Tigers PR on X, his fWAR ranks fourth in the league, trailing only Shohei Ohtani, Yordan Alvarez and Pete Crow Armstrong. That kind of company is why he’s being talked about in MVP terms.
The argument starts with how much he has meant to a Tigers team that traded away starting pitchers Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. Detroit isn’t being viewed as a favorite to come out of the AL if it gets in, but Dingler has helped keep the club afloat and in range of October.
He’s doing it in a lineup that also includes Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark, Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene, and he’s giving manager AJ Hinch every reason to keep writing his name into the everyday lineup. Beyond this season, Dingler is making his case as a core piece of what the Tigers want to be.
Even if Detroit falls short of the playoffs, Dingler has shown enough to keep the team in the race until the end. With him behind the plate, the Tigers feel like they have a chance every night.
And if Detroit does sneak into October as a wild card team, Dingler would be a major asset in that playoff series. Catching every game would give the Tigers a big lift.
This is a lineup that can hit and can launch homers when the moment calls for it, and the team has also leaned on Troy Melton as its ace. With the season tightening up, the Tigers look dangerous if they keep rolling.
When Detroit needs a big swing, Dingler has been the guy delivering it. That’s why he should be in the AL MVP conversation if the Tigers reach the postseason – and even if they don’t, the case is still strong.
In Other News…
Tigers Still Have A Real Shot If They Make These 3 Tweaks
The Tigers deadline selloff did not knock them out of the race, even after two of their better starting pitchers were moved. Detroit is still hanging around the playoff picture, and that has pushed attention toward smaller, more immediate fixes rather than any sweeping overhaul. In that sense, the conversation has shifted from whether this group can contend to how the front office might patch a roster that is still close enough to keep hope alive.
One path would be to lean into the bullpen market, with free-agent relievers Lou Trivino and Craig Kimbrel both viewed as possible additions. Another would be to tap into Triple-A and give Corey Julks a look, adding another bat and a different type of energy to the mix. None of those moves would remake the Tigers, but for a team still within striking distance, the right combination of modest tweaks could be enough to keep the season from drifting away.
Kenley Jansen Is Setting A Tone The Tigers Suddenly Need
Kenley Jansen has been one of the steadier pieces in Detroit since coming back from injury in mid-June, giving the Tigers the kind of late-inning presence they wanted as the roster shifted around the trade deadline. The veteran closer has been effective across his recent work, and the broader message around him has been about more than saves. It has been about tone, accountability and a veteran willing to help hold a changing clubhouse together.
Jansen said he still needs to improve, even with the strong run he has put together lately, a reminder that the Tigers are asking more of him than clean innings. Detroit also passed along rehab updates for Brant Hurter and Wenceel Perez while reshuffling the pitching staff to make room for Jackson Jobes return, and those moving parts only sharpen the need for steady voices at the back end. For a team trying to settle in after deadline changes, Jansen looks ready to be part of that answer, even if the full picture is still taking shape.
Jackson Jobe’s Return Could Change Detroit’s Playoff Push
Jackson Jobe is back on the active roster at a time when Detroit could use every bit of pitching help it can get. The Tigers activated the right-hander from the 60-day injured list and sent reliever Brenan Hanifee to Triple-A Toledo, a roster shuffle that comes on the heels of trades involving Casey Mize and Gage Workman and creates a clearer path for Jobe to step into the rotation.
The move gives Detroit a fresh arm with real long-term significance, but it also brings a measure of uncertainty as the club tries to keep its playoff push on track. Jobes return has been a long time coming after Tommy John surgery, and his next outing will be watched closely as the Tigers sort through a staff that has already been reshaped by recent transactions.
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