The Detroit Tigers have the most wins in MLB entering May 23. Yes, really.
The Tigers are 33-18 and have a five-game lead in the American League Central, so it has been a promising start.
Despite this, one area of concern is the performance of starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, as he has gone just 2-6 this season with a 4.39 ERA. On May 22, Flaherty eclipsed the 1,000-strikeout mark in his career in a neat moment — but he wasn’t worried about that milestone and downplayed the accomplishment.
Tigers’ Jack Flaherty Not Thinking of Milestone Amid Poor Start to Season
Flaherty spent 2024 with the Los Angeles Dodgers after getting traded at the deadline, but he signed a two-year deal worth $35 million to return to Detroit in 2025.
While it has been a slow start in his return to Motor City, Flaherty struck out eight batters in the game on May 22 against the Cleveland Guardians, putting his career total at 1,006. After the contest, however, Flaherty wasn’t too focused on that.
“I haven’t really thought about it,” Flaherty said via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. “It’s cool to hear, cool to finally get to, but it’s probably something I’ll think about later.”
Flaherty’s 1,000th career strikeout came in the first inning as José Ramírez was caught looking.
Career strikeout No. 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ for Jack Flaherty! 👏 pic.twitter.com/ERwpVI6qEq
Flaherty and the Tigers ended the game against Cleveland with a 7-0 shutout loss at home, so Flaherty’s milestone was overshadowed, for which he was attributed the loss.
Still, despite the struggles, Flaherty believes he is turning a corner and is pitching well at times.
“I think I’ve been going in the right direction for the entire year,” Flaherty said. “I think, more mentally than anything, I talked myself into saying I wasn’t doing great, but I’ve been throwing the ball well, and then I’ll have a couple of rough innings there. I still think I’m throwing the ball well.”
In 2024, Flaherty went 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA with the Tigers before being traded to the Dodgers. In L.A., he went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA but had a 1-2 record and a 7.36 ERA in the postseason.
So, even though the Tigers are atop the latest MLB power rankings, Flaherty’s performance has left much to be desired, especially after he signed a big deal in free agency. On the other hand, Flaherty thinks he is turning a corner, and the Tigers sure hope he is.