Photo via Yahoo Sports

A true Tigers bullpen can only come from within

The Detroit Tigers’ 2026 season was undone by a bullpen that simply couldn’t hold leads, finishing with the second-worst record in one-run games and surrendering 31 blown saves—the second-most in MLB behind only the Washington Nationals. Injuries derailed key relievers like Will Vest, who struggled through the year and ultimately fell victim to the physical toll that often plagues bullpen arms.

The team’s reliance on a rotation-heavy approach left high-leverage situations exposed, despite a roster that defied traditional sabermetric principles by neglecting the very areas where relief pitching matters most. Even as the offense showed flashes of versatility in September, the Tigers’ inability to close out games became a defining flaw, costing them critical divisional races in late August and beyond.

Up nextMLB· 24m ago

Ranking the Rockies, 2026: No. 40, Tanner Gordon