After Being Handed a 0.2% Chance To Make The Postseason In Early August, The Detroit Tigers Punched Their Improbable Ticket To October

Nic Antaya. Getty Images.

About seven weeks ago the Tigers' season was pretty much over. Six feet under, just gotta shovel the dirt on top of them to call it a season. Prediction models gave them a 0.2% chance of making it into October. They were simply too young and not good enough. They traded away a front line pitcher at the deadline in a way to help build towards the future. Despite showing scrappiness at times, it was not enough loud enough to make any real noise. 

Yeah, the hell with that. The Tigers just ripped off 31 of 42 and last night clinched a postseason berth. Madness. 

One of the more improbably runs you'll ever see to get into the playoffs. 

AJ Hinch gave an awesome speech just before they flooded the room with champagne and beer. 

Obviously the story is about Hinch and his players, but Jason Benetti coming over from the White Sox to the Tigers this offseason is one of the best moves I've ever seen. Talk about reversing course. Leaving a team that goes onto have the worst record in baseball history to one that embarks on an insane playoff run is nuts. He had a very nice moment in the booth before the real celebrating got going. 

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The players made sure to get him good during the clubhouse party. 

The Gritty Kitties they're calling themselves. I want nothing to do with them. A house money team is fucking dangerous in the playoffs. Then you factor in they have the best pitcher in the league in Tarik Skubal. Lowest ERA, highest ERA+, most strikeouts, and most wins in the AL. If you're facing him you're going up against it big time. The lineup is full of naive, young kids who don't know any better. Riley Greene, Colt Keith, Spencer Torkelson, Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling, Kerry Carpenter, the list is endless. It's a scrappy bunch of pests who have shocked the sport over the last seven weeks. The confidence that group has right now is unmatched. 

The expanded playoff is admittedly silly. When MLB had just four spots per league it was awesome and allowed themselves to wear a badge as the hardest postseason among the four major sports. That being said, going to six on each side makes moments like this one possible. That fanbase is great and starving for an opportunity like this. The Tigers are no pushover either. Whatever higher seed gets them in the wild card round is in for hell. October is nearly here and I feel alive.