Detroit Tigers roster prediction for MLB playoffs wild-card series vs Guardians

CLEVELAND — The Detroit Tigers nearly collapsed out of the 2025 MLB postseason, but they survived and ended up with the No. 6 seed in the American League after stumbling into the third and final AL wild-card spot.

It's time for the playoffs.

The Tigers — led by president of baseball operations Scott Harris and manager A.J. Hinch — need to set their 26-man roster for the AL wild-card series against the Cleveland Guardians, which begins Tuesday, Sept. 30, at Progressive Field. Left-hander Tarik Skubal is scheduled to start Game 1 in the best-of-three showdown.

"Obviously, we have a lot of decisions to make over the next couple of days," Hinch said before Sunday's 4-3 loss in the final game of the regular season. "Being able to push Skubal back is awesome, just to get him to start the playoff series."

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Any player in the organization as of Aug. 31 is eligible for the postseason roster, including players in the minor leagues. Teams are limited to 13 pitchers among the 26 players, but there's no cap on position players.

The roster can change before every series in the playoffs. The winner of the Tigers and Guardians will play the Seattle Mariners in a best-of-five ALDS.

Here is our prediction for the Tigers' 26-man postseason roster for the wild-card series:

Position players (14)

Predicted to be on the roster:Dillon Dingler (C), Jake Rogers (C), Spencer Torkelson (1B), Gleyber Torres (2B), Javier Báez (SS), Trey Sweeney (SS), Zach McKinstry (3B), Andy Ibáñez (3B), Riley Greene (OF), Parker Meadows (OF), Wenceel Pérez (OF), Kerry Carpenter (DH), Jahmai Jones (DH), Justyn-Henry Malloy (DH).

The buzz: The Tigers are expected to carry 14 position players, but third baseman Colt Keith (right rib cage inflammation) and outfielder Matt Vierling (left oblique strain) probably won't be among that group because they're still recovering from injuries. Facing right-handed pitchers, the Tigers project to put these nine players in the lineup, in this order: Parker Meadows, Gleyber Torres, Kerry Carpenter, Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, Dillon Dingler, Zach McKinstry, Wenceel Pérez and Trey Sweeney. From there, the Tigers won't hesitate to call Andy Ibáñez, Jahmai Jones and Justyn-Henry Malloy off the bench, but only as pinch-hitters against left-handed relievers. The Guardians will target Carpenter with their lefty relievers. If that occurs in the fourth or fifth innings, the Tigers will need to respond to a game-changing dilemma: pinch-hit for Carpenter in the middle innings or let Carpenter hit to preserve him for the later innings. There's a chance Keith and Vierling could return from the injured list for the ALDS, but it's still too soon to know for certain.

Pitchers (12)

Predicted to be on the roster:Jack Flaherty (RHP), Casey Mize (RHP), Tarik Skubal (LHP), Kyle Finnegan (RHP), Brenan Hanifee (RHP), Tyler Holton (LHP), Bailey Horn (LHP), Brant Hurter (LHP), Tommy Kahnle (RHP), Rafael Montero (RHP), Troy Melton (RHP), Will Vest (RHP).

The buzz: The Tigers are expected to carry 12 pitchers. The projected starters: Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize. It's unclear if Flaherty or Mize will start Game 2, but there's a case to be made for Mize to get the opportunity, even though he doesn't have any postseason experience. Not only did Mize post a 3.87 ERA in 28 starts compared to Flaherty's 4.64 ERA in 31 starts, but he also registered a 3.49 ERA with a 3.5% walk rate and 28.1% strikeout rate in his past five starts. Additionally, Flaherty — who won the 2024 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers — owns a 5.36 ERA in his postseason career, spanning 47 innings in 10 games (nine starts). As for the bullpen, the Tigers will regain access to relievers Bailey Horn and Brenan Hanifee after they were both stuck in the option cycle during the final two weeks of the regular season. Carrying Horn is a no-brainer, as his presence gives the Tigers three left-handed relievers to combat the Guardians' offense, which features seven left-handed hitters.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him@EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers roster prediction for wild-card series vs Guardians