Agreed, especially since they had already made the playoffs last year to snap a 10-year drought. This year’s Tigers wouldn’t have made the playoffs in any year prior to 2022’s addition of a 3rd wildcard.
The 2024 Tigers had the best record in baseball the final 1/4 of the season. The 2025 had the best record in baseball the first 1/2 of this season. Their run differential was right up there too. They won 100 games over a 162 game stretch spanning two seasons. So apart from McKinstry and Baez, I don’t think it was that obvious at the All Star break that their success was unsustainable. Sure, maybe winning 100 games this year was never realistic even at the All Star break, but best record in MLB, best record in AL, 95 wins, wildcard round bye, 90 wins, AL Central title, home field for wildcard round were all targets that came and went. The Jays jumped from 74 wins to 94 wins but Tigers fans should be satisfied with a 1-win improvement over last year? Nothing to celebrate yet, making the playoffs only gives them a chance to redeem themselves and give them teeny weeny consolation this offseason compared to if the collapse had led to missing the playoffs completely.