• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 26, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

Tigers Have MLB’s Best Record, Second-Largest Attendance Jump

The Tigers are proving that a late surge to the 2024 postseason was no fluke as the team has MLB’s best record and fast-rising attendance at Comerica Park. 

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Tigers have established their dominance on the field and are now reaping the benefits off it. 

Now boasting the best record in baseball at 43–24, the Motown renaissance that began in earnest last year has taken another big step. The club’s attendance gain of more than 7,700 per game to 26,809, a 40% bump compared to this time last season, is MLB’s second-largest boost in 2025 in raw numbers and percentage gain behind only the Juan Soto–led Mets.

The Tigers drew 121,509 last weekend for a series against the Cubs, the team’s second-best total at Comerica Park for a three-game set in the last decade, and each contest topped 40,000. The only Detroit series in that time frame topping that cumulative mark arrived at the end of last year, when the team clinched its first postseason berth since 2014 and drew 128,108 for the season-ending series against the White Sox.

Detroit drew 1.86 million last year, the club’s best mark since 2017, though a sizable chunk of the team’s lift at the gate coincided with a 30–13 surge to finish the season. With the Tigers now pacing so far ahead of last year, and playing winning baseball right from the start, it is now poised to top 2 million, a figure it reached every year from 2005 to 2017 but hasn’t since as it went through a long and often-painful rebuilding process.

Since a furious run to the 2024 postseason began in mid-August last year, the Tigers have been MLB’s best team—a stretch now extending to 10 months. 

“I’ve always said, ‘We’re going to have a team that you’re going to be proud of,’ and I trust and respect the fans to come out and support a team that’s maturing and getting more and more confident,” said Tigers manager A.J. Hinch after the club won two of three from the Cubs.

Sales of Tigers merchandise at MLB’s online shop and the Fanatics network, meanwhile, are up 40% so far this season, the league said, while over the past 30 days, consumption of Tigers games at MLB.TV has grown by 98% compared to the same period in 2024.

Different Approach

Also particularly notable in the Tigers’ success is how they’ve built the roster. Many of the team’s core players, most notably reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, were selected by the Tigers over a series of fruitful drafts and are not yet eligible for arbitration or free agency.

Instead of pushing for quick fixes or major free-agent acquisitions, Detroit also showed the patience for draft picks such as pitcher Casey Mize, outfielder Riley Greene, and first baseman Spencer Torkelson, first-round selections in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively, to develop fully and become core contributors. 

The club’s luxury-tax payroll of $156.2 million ranks 19th in the league. Nearly half of that of outlay, however, is tied up in just four veteran players: infielder/outfielder Javier Báez, pitcher Jack Flaherty, second baseman Gleyber Torres, and injured pitcher Alex Cobb. Detroit, meanwhile, has also utilized an enhanced lineup and defensive flexibility where players such as Báez and Zach McKinstry have played as many as five different positions this season based on day-to-day matchups.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Prospective Rays Owner Must Start Fresh As $1.3B Stadium Deal Ends

St. Petersburg, Fla., officials formally terminate a prior ballpark agreement.
Jul 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox fans cheer after a home run by Boston Red Sox designated hitter Wilyer Abreu (52) during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Fenway Park.

Fenway Concession Workers Go on Strike for Dodgers Series

They’re asking fans not to buy food and drink at the games.

CBS Sports to Get New Owner As Skydance Merger Clears FCC Hurdle

The long-awaited, but highly debated, merger gains regulatory approval.

UNC’s Bill Belichick Brings His NFL Swagger to ACC Media Days

UNC is becoming one of the most interesting stories in college football.

Featured Today

Ryan Field Construction
exclusive
July 19, 2025

First Look Inside Northwestern’s $862 Million New Ryan Field

Five big things FOS learned on our exclusive stadium tour.
Jul 21, 2024; Ayrshire, SCT; Xander Schauffele celebrates with Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon.
July 17, 2025

The Boozy History and Traditions of The Open’s Claret Jug

The Open awards the world’s most famous wine decanter.
2025 PDC World Darts Championship Final - Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
July 16, 2025

A Teen Darts Prodigy Is Becoming Bigger Than the Game Itself

Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler is cashing in on his devastatingly accurate shot.
Jun 10, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Indiana Fever injured guard Caitlin Clark (22) follows the action from the bench against the Atlanta Dream during the second half at Gateway Center Arena at College Park.

Caitlin Clark’s Injury Not Worse, but Status for Chicago, Dallas Unclear

Clark has been out since suffering a groin injury on July 15.
July 23, 2025

Packers Hit Record $719M in Revenue, Riding NFL’s Growth Wave

The NFL team’s annual revenue and operating profit both grow strongly.
Jul 9, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles (31) hugs guard Leila Lacan (47) after a play against the Seattle Storm in the second half at Mohegan Sun Arena.
July 24, 2025

Sun Will Play in Connecticut Next Year Amid Relocation Rumors

The team told season-ticket holders they’ll stay for 2026.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Jul 11, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm guard Tiffany Mitchell (25) drives around Connecticut Sun forward Aneesah Morrow (24) during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena.
July 23, 2025

NFL Star Bobby Wagner Takes Ownership Stake in Seattle Storm

Sue Bird joined the ownership group last year.
Jul 23, 2025; Ashburn, VA, USA; A view of a Washington Commanders team flag flying in front of team headquarters on day one of training camp at OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park.
July 23, 2025

D.C. Nears Commanders Stadium Vote Amid Trump’s Name Push

Local government leaders try to stay focused on completing the stadium pact.
July 23, 2025

Rockies Sign Ethan Holliday to Record High-School Bonus

Colorado makes history with the No. 4 pick in last week’s MLB draft.
Emma Meesseman
July 22, 2025

Liberty Load Up for Title Defense With Emma Meesseman 

She last played in the WNBA in 2022.