The Detroit Tigers return home to Comerica Park on Saturday, July 26, 2025, carrying a 60–41 record and sitting atop the AL Central thanks in large part to the dominance of their ace Tarik Skubal, who gets the start against the high-contact Toronto Blue Jays. Skubal has emerged as a legitimate Cy Young contender with a sparkling sub-2.20 ERA, a WHIP below 1.00, and a recent 13-strikeout, one-hit gem that reinforced his status as one of the league’s premier arms. At home, he’s been nearly untouchable, attacking hitters early with high-90s velocity and mixing in a devastating changeup that neutralizes right-handed bats, making him an ideal weapon against a Jays lineup filled with contact-driven righties. Detroit has been among the best teams in the league against the spread, with a 59–40 ATS mark and consistent performance as slight home favorites or underdogs, often winning low-scoring games by tight margins. Their offense may not match the Blue Jays in raw contact percentage, but they make up for it with timely execution and smart base running, headlined by All-Star outfielder Riley Greene, who leads the team in home runs and extra-base hits, and veterans like Javier Báez and Gleyber Torres, who have both delivered clutch hits and quality defense.

Detroit’s style is predicated on clean fielding, early leads, and high-efficiency pitching, ranking top five in team ERA and defensive metrics like fielding percentage and fewest errors per game. Behind Skubal, manager A.J. Hinch has deployed a bullpen that locks down late innings with arms like Jason Foley, Alex Faedo, and Tyler Holton—all of whom have sub-3.00 ERAs and a combined WHIP under 1.10 in the last 30 games. That late-game reliability has made Comerica Park a true advantage, with the Tigers holding opponents to under four runs per game at home while maintaining an excellent record in one-run games. Offensively, the Tigers don’t slug often but execute smartly: sacrifice flies, squeeze plays, stolen bases, and double steals are all part of Hinch’s toolkit, especially when facing a team like Toronto that may rely heavily on relievers and defensive precision. Greene and Báez set the tone with early count aggression, while Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter have begun to heat up in the lower half of the order, adding depth and unpredictability. Detroit’s betting trends lean strongly toward the under, especially when Skubal starts, and the total for this game is expected to hover around 8.5, suggesting that oddsmakers expect a tight, controlled contest. The Tigers are well-equipped for that kind of game, and their approach remains consistent: get five or six dominant innings from Skubal, scratch out a couple runs using speed and contact, and then turn the ball over to a shutdown bullpen that has been among MLB’s best in save conversion and inherited runner strand rate. In a playoff-like environment and with a chance to extend their divisional lead, Detroit will look to ride their ace, play clean defense, and let their well-drilled style deliver yet another statement win in front of their home crowd.