Postseason FAQ: What's next for Tigers?

DETROIT -- The Tigers rallied their way into the postseason with an incredible run built around a simple mindset: Keep focused on winning the day’s game.

Now that they’ve clinched their first postseason berth in 10 years, they can finally pick their heads up and look beyond the view right at their feet. They’re ready to make the transition to the Astros in the American League Wild Card Series with a simple plan: Win two games before the Astros can.

“We’re going to reset and start a brand new season,” manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday. “And I’ve watched over the years, teams who were unexpected to get there, go off and reach the World Series [and] sometimes win it. I’ve seen teams who were built as good as can be not get out of the first round.

“I think it’s one of the most unique times in our sport because it’s as unpredictable as us. One of our characteristics that I love about us is how unpredictable we are. And we’re about to play in the most unpredictable time of the season.”

Here are some questions and answers for what lies ahead for the Tigers heading into the postseason:

What could the postseason roster look like?
C: Jake Rogers, Dillon Dingler
1B: Spencer Torkelson
2B: Colt Keith
SS: Trey Sweeney
3B: Jace Jung, Andy Ibáñez
OF: Riley Greene, Parker Meadows, Kerry Carpenter, Matt Vierling, Wenceel Perez, Justyn-Henry Malloy
UTIL: Zach McKinstry
SP: Tarik Skubal, Keider Montero, Reese Olson
RP: Jason Foley, Tyler Holton, Beau Brieske, Will Vest, Sean Guenther, Brenan Hanifee, Casey Mize, Brant Hurter, Jackson Jobe

“I think the biggest question is how much pitching do you take into a three-game series,” Hinch said.

Who will the Tigers face?
They’ll face the Astros beginning Tuesday afternoon at Minute Maid Park.

What time is the game?
All three games -- Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (if necessary) -- are slated to start at 2:32 p.m. ET. A potential Game 3 on Thursday could shift to 3:08 p.m. ET if the other AL Wild Card Series (Royals-Orioles) ends in two games along with one of the NL Wild Card Series, or 7:08 if it’s the only game that day.

Where is the game on television?
All games are scheduled to air on ABC. If Game 3 is the only game on Thursday, it’ll be on ESPN.

• Postseason schedule: Game times, how to watch and more

Will there be a postseason game at Comerica Park?
The Tigers will have to advance to the Division Series to get a home game. The Wild Card Series is a best-of-three format with all games at the home of the higher seed, so the Tigers will have to win twice on the road to advance. But the Tigers won their final three road series in the regular season, including two of three in Baltimore Sept. 20-22.

If the Tigers advance, they would host Game 3 of a best-of-five Division Series on Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Game 4 (if necessary) on Thursday, Oct. 10. Look for more information on potential Division Series tickets next week.

“The goal is to hopefully play another game [here] in front of them after Sunday,” Skubal said of the crowd at Comerica Park. “The fans here are great.”

When will Tarik Skubal pitch?
Skubal, the American League's pitching Triple Crown winner, will pitch Game 1.

“It's going to be fun,” Skubal said of the postseason assignment. “The motivation for me to put in work every offseason and during the season is to get that opportunity and be trusted and have the confidence from A.J. and the rest of the guys in the clubhouse. I'm very excited.

"It means a lot. It makes everything that you do behind the scenes that nobody else sees worth it. It's only going to make me work harder to be a better version of myself.”

Will the Tigers go to a traditional rotation in the postseason?
They got to this point mixing and matching with openers and bulk pitchers after Skubal, so why would they stop now? The Tigers’ use of their pitching staff over the last six weeks in many ways prepared them for postseason play, when hooks are quicker and every out is more important. They could have to utilize their full bullpen in a best-of-three Wild Card Series with no off-days, but that’s nothing new.

“Even given my experience, I’ve never done the opener in the postseason,” Hinch said. “I’m going to try to keep everybody guessing just as much as I have you guys for the last two months.”

Could Jackson Jobe pitch in the postseason?
He would be eligible. The Tigers will have to petition MLB to add him as a replacement for somebody on the injured list who has filled the minimum requirement on the IL. Sawyer Gipson-Long, who has spent the entire season on the IL and underwent Tommy John surgery in April, fulfills that category. The Tigers want to see this weekend how Jobe, Detroit's No. 2 prospect and MLB's top pitching prospect, bounces back physically on a bullpen schedule.

How many of these Tigers actually have postseason experience?
At the Major League level, it’s a short list. Matt Vierling was part of the Phillies’ run to the World Series in 2022, playing in 12 games during that run. Kenta Maeda has 27 career postseason appearances over six playoff runs with the Dodgers and Twins, including two appearances for Minnesota in last year’s AL Division Series vs. Houston.

At the Minor League level, Jace Jung, Brant Hurter and Ty Madden were part of Double-A Erie’s Eastern League championship run last year.