Detroit Tigers: lineup and rotation patterns
What 2023–2025 Retrosheet data tells us about how the Detroit Tigers set their lineups and used their pitchers.
A record of past seasons, not a forecast: 2027 projections will be added once rosters take shape. About these team pages.
Our read on the Detroit Tigers
Detroit changed its leadoff hitter more than anyone: the same player led off consecutive games only 48% of the time, the lowest rate in the league, and the most frequent leadoff man, Colt Keith, did it only 51 times. Yet the Tigers used 125 different batting orders, sixth fewest, so the changes were concentrated in a few places, notably third base, center field and right field, where no one started half the games.
The opposing starter's hand mattered a lot. Detroit started 4.7 left-handed hitters per game against right-handed starters but 2.3 against left-handers; Kerry Carpenter started 87% of games against right-handers and 12% against left-handers, and Keith 87% against 21%. Starters often had long gaps between outings: 12% of starts came after more than 10 days, the highest share in the league, and only 22% came on four days or fewer. Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty made 31 starts each, and Dillon Dingler made 113 starts at catcher.
Where the Detroit Tigers ranked in 2025
| Detroit Tigers | Avg | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 87 | 81.0 | T-11 |
| Different batting orders | 125 | 135.9 | 25 |
| Same order as previous game | 1.9% | 4.8% | T-22 |
| Most uses of one order | 6 | 4.8 | T-4 |
| Same leadoff as previous game | 48% | 75% | 30 |
| Players in the lineup | 22 | 24.4 | T-22 |
| Games vs LHP | 42 | 42.6 | T-18 |
| Lefty hitters vs RHP | 4.7 | 3.6 | 4 |
| Lefty hitters vs LHP | 2.3 | 2.0 | 12 |
| Starting pitchers | 15 | 13.2 | T-8 |
| Top-five starters' share | 71% | 76% | 23 |
| Starts on 4 days' rest or less* | 22% | 31% | 26 |
| Starts after 10+ days* | 12% | 5% | 1 |
| Primary catcher's starts | 70% | 58% | 5 |
| Players at DH | 10 | 10.7 | T-16 |
| Top DH's share | 27% | 51% | 26 |
Three seasons at a glance
| Season | W–L | Games vs RHP / LHP starters | Different batting orders | Different players in the starting lineup | Starting pitchers used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 78–84 | 124 / 38 | 155 | 22 | 17 |
| 2024 | 86–76 | 129 / 33 | 155 | 23 | 14 |
| 2025 | 87–75 | 120 / 42 | 125 | 22 | 15 |
Who played where, 2023–2025
| Position | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Jake Rogers (94) | Jake Rogers (86) | Dillon Dingler (113) |
| 1B | Spencer Torkelson (154) | Spencer Torkelson (90) | Spencer Torkelson (144) |
| 2B | Andy Ibanez (64) | Colt Keith (125) | Gleyber Torres (134) |
| 3B | Nick Maton (41) | Giovanny Urshela (66) | Zach McKinstry (69) |
| SS | Javier Baez (127) | Javier Baez (76) | Trey Sweeney (81) |
| LF | Akil Baddoo (87) | Riley Greene (81) | Riley Greene (117) |
| CF | Riley Greene (75) | Parker Meadows (75) | Parker Meadows (55) |
| RF | Kerry Carpenter (75) | Wenceel Perez (70) | Wenceel Perez (71) |
| DH | Miguel Cabrera (95) | Justyn-Henry Malloy (43) | Colt Keith (43) |
Month by month in 2025
| Month | Games | W–L | Games vs LHP | Different batting orders | Starting pitchers used | First start of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | 31 | 19–12 | 9 | 27 | 6 | – |
| May | 28 | 19–9 | 5 | 24 | 9 | Akil Baddoo, Brewer Hicklen, Matt Vierling, Wenceel Perez |
| June | 26 | 15–11 | 9 | 21 | 9 | Jahmai Jones, Parker Meadows |
| July | 25 | 11–14 | 7 | 23 | 9 | none |
| August | 28 | 16–12 | 4 | 20 | 6 | none |
| September | 24 | 7–17 | 8 | 17 | 9 | none |
Batting order and positions in 2025
Most starts by batting slot: 1. Colt Keith (51); 2. Gleyber Torres (120); 3. Kerry Carpenter (53); 4. Riley Greene (87); 5. Spencer Torkelson (82); 6. Wenceel Perez (44); 7. Dillon Dingler (65); 8. Trey Sweeney (39); 9. Javier Baez (63).
| Position | Next most starts (leader: see above) | Players who started there | Starter changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Jake Rogers (39) | 3 | 58% |
| 1B | Colt Keith (17) | 3 | 16% |
| 2B | Colt Keith (21) | 5 | 24% |
| 3B | Colt Keith (32) | 5 | 65% |
| SS | Javier Baez (54) | 3 | 48% |
| LF | Kerry Carpenter (23) | 7 | 42% |
| CF | Javier Baez (43) | 7 | 49% |
| RF | Kerry Carpenter (49) | 9 | 51% |
| DH | Kerry Carpenter (37) | 10 | 78% |
Against left- and right-handed starters
| Opposing starter | Left-handed | Right-handed | Switch-hitters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | 4.7 | 3.8 | 0.6 |
| Left-handed | 2.3 | 6.1 | 0.6 |
| Player | Bats | Start rate vs RHP (starts) | Start rate vs LHP (starts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerry Carpenter | left-handed | 87% (104) | 12% (5) |
| Colt Keith | left-handed | 87% (104) | 21% (9) |
| Trey Sweeney | left-handed | 63% (75) | 14% (6) |
| Javier Baez | right-handed | 63% (75) | 98% (41) |
Gaps may reflect timing, not a platoon (guide).
Rotation and rest in 2025
| Pitcher | Throws | Starts | First start | Last start | Median days of rest | Starts on 4 days or fewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarik Skubal | LHP | 31 | March 27, 2025 | Sept. 23, 2025 | 5 | 8 |
| Jack Flaherty | RHP | 31 | March 28, 2025 | Sept. 24, 2025 | 5 | 8 |
| Casey Mize | RHP | 28 | April 1, 2025 | Sept. 26, 2025 | 5 | 5 |
| Reese Olson | RHP | 13 | March 29, 2025 | July 24, 2025 | 5 | 2 |
| Keider Montero | RHP | 12 | April 16, 2025 | Sept. 27, 2025 | 5 | 2 |
| Jackson Jobe | RHP | 10 | March 31, 2025 | May 28, 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| Charlie Morton | RHP | 9 | Aug. 3, 2025 | Sept. 19, 2025 | 5 | 1 |
| Chris Paddack | RHP | 7 | July 30, 2025 | Sept. 28, 2025 | 5 | 0 |
| Rest before start | Detroit Tigers | League average |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days or fewer | 22% | 31% |
| 5 days | 47% | 49% |
| 6 to 10 days | 20% | 15% |
| More than 10 days | 12% | 5% |
Catcher and DH in 2025
| Games | Team-games | Primary catcher started | League average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 162 | 70% | 58% |
| Day game after a night game | 40 | 48% | 44% |
| All other games | 122 | 77% | – |
| Player | DH starts | Share of DH starts |
|---|---|---|
| Colt Keith | 43 | 27% |
| Kerry Carpenter | 37 | 23% |
| Jahmai Jones | 23 | 14% |
Most common lineups in 2025
The most common exact batting order was used 6 times, more than the club average of 4.8.
Lineup 1 (6 times, last on Sept. 2, 2025): 1. Colt Keith DH, 2. Gleyber Torres 2B, 3. Kerry Carpenter RF, 4. Riley Greene LF, 5. Spencer Torkelson 1B, 6. Wenceel Perez CF, 7. Zach McKinstry 3B, 8. Dillon Dingler C, 9. Trey Sweeney SS.
Lineup 2 (5 times, last on Sept. 26, 2025): 1. Jahmai Jones DH, 2. Gleyber Torres 2B, 3. Wenceel Perez RF, 4. Spencer Torkelson 1B, 5. Riley Greene LF, 6. Andy Ibanez 3B, 7. Dillon Dingler C, 8. Parker Meadows CF, 9. Javier Baez SS.
Lineup 3 (4 times, last on May 26, 2025): 1. Kerry Carpenter RF, 2. Gleyber Torres DH, 3. Colt Keith 2B, 4. Riley Greene LF, 5. Spencer Torkelson 1B, 6. Zach McKinstry 3B, 7. Dillon Dingler C, 8. Trey Sweeney SS, 9. Javier Baez CF.
Top nine vs RHP (10/120): Colt Keith, Dillon Dingler, Gleyber Torres, Javier Baez, Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Trey Sweeney, Zach McKinstry.
Top nine vs LHP (6/42): Andy Ibanez, Dillon Dingler, Gleyber Torres, Jahmai Jones, Javier Baez, Parker Meadows, Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Wenceel Perez.
Our own calculations from Retrosheet game logs, regular seasons only: notes, methodology.