The Great American Playoff Race

Great playoff race 

It's 2016 and the Tigers are back at it again, making things real. If the 2016 season isn't a reminder that every single game counts, there's no season that would express that truth (see 2009, for more information). In 2009, the Tigers starter in game number 163 was a young rookie named Rick Porcello. In 2016, Rick Porcello is a good candidate to be the Cy Young Award winner on the American League East Champions, the Boston Red Sox.

What It Means to Be An Ace

Ace starters throughout the baseball landscape include former Tigers Max Scherzer (Nationals), Rick Porcello (Red Sox), and David Price (also Red Sox — along with former Tiger GM Dave Dombrowski). Drew Smyly didn't have a good season for the Tampa Rays but he still has potential. The Tigers young pitchers Mike Fulmer, Daniel Norris, and Matt Boyd all look to have some high upside at much less cost than the aforementioned aces. Also, Jordan Zimmermann should recover next year after a season of injuries. Scherzer and Price are both making more than $200 million over the course of their seven–year contracts and Porcello is making $20 million a season for a few more years. The Tigers' own Justin Verlander seems to be fully back to ace status, by the way.

Five More Games

The Tigers should have won at least five more games at home this season. You almost have to win 50 home games and finish .500 on the road to make the playoffs. The Tigers played decent on the road but should have been better at home. Perhaps if injuries hadn't taken games away from Jose Iglesias, Cameron Maybin, and Nick Castellanos to name a few, the Tigers could have won a few more games. Of course, injuries are part of the game and ask the Los Angeles Dodgers what it is like to overuse the disabled list. And they're going to win the National League West.

Can the Tigers Still Get In

The Tigers have a good shot to make the playoffs, but it could be a wild ride.