The Detroit Tigers rode a sensational second half of the season in order to clinch a stunning postseason berth. The young Tigers team is now set to take on the Houston Astros in the MLB wild-card round, with Game 1 getting underway on Tuesday afternoon.
It'll be uncharted territory for almost all of Detroit's players, as the bulk of them have never experienced October baseball. Prior to 2024, the Tigers hadn't been to the postseason since 2014. While it's an exciting time for the organization, it's also a reminder of their overall lack of playoff experience.
Per MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Detroit's wild-card roster has a combined 12 games of postseason experience, all of which come from third baseman Matt Vierling. Vierling's playoff experience comes from his days with the Philadelphia Phillies, having featured for the team during its run to the World Series in 2022, where they were eventually defeated by the Astros.
Meanwhile, Houston's roster boasts a staggering 581 games of combined postseason experience, having been a mainstay in MLB's playoffs over the past decade.
This stat is crazy 🤯
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2024
(via @SlangsonSports) pic.twitter.com/FJWZ24yKXf
The vast disparity in postseason exposure could certainly prove impactful during their three-game series. Houston's veteran second baseman Jose Altuve has featured in 103 games in the postseason during his esteemed career, so he's plenty accustomed to the bright lights of October.
Although postseason experience won't be on the side of the Tigers, they're one of the hottest teams in MLB and will be looking to carry that form into Minute Maid Park.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Wild Stat Shows Stark Difference Between Astros, Tigers in MLB Wild-Card Series.
