Game 4 Preview: Verlander makes 2026 debut for Tigers at Diamondbacks
The Tigers legend takes the mount to open up a three-game series in Arizona this week.
The Detroit Tigers won their first series of the season against the San Diego Padres and now move on to the next leg of the 2026 campaign-opening road trip at the Arizona Diamondbacks this week, starting on Monday night. So far, in an obviously limited sample size, AJ Hinch’s team is in the lower half of the MLB offensive standings, ranking 23rd in batting average (. 202), 16th in on-base percentage (.
319), 29th in slugging (. 263) and 23rd in OPS (. 582).
On the flip side, the Motor City Kitties are among the best when it comes to pitching, ranking second in ERA (1. 38), eighth in WHIP (1. 12) and ninth in batting average against (.
204). The team’s performance on the mound is not too surprising, given that it was clearly a strength coming in. The fourth man in the rotation this year for the Tigers is none other than future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, who takes the mound on Monday wearing the Olde English D for the first time since 2017.