Detroit Tigers veteran starter Jack Flaherty has underperformed his expectations in 2025, but has shown steady improvements recently.
The Detroit Tigers' starting staff is arguably the team's strongest feature, entering the MLB All-Star break with the fifth-best fWAR (8.6) and sixth-best ERA (3.42) in baseball.
Much of that quality comes from ace Tarik Skubal, who is turning in another Cy Young-caliber season. The Tigers have also benefitted from an All-Star season from former No. 1 pick Casey Mize, a career-best season from Reese Olson and clutch spot starts from Keider Montero.
The one starter underperforming preseason expectations is Jack Flaherty — though after his past couple of starts, the veteran righty looks to be inching closer back to his previous form.
Flaherty (5-9, 4.65 ERA) was not a reason the Tigers lost 8-4 at Comerica Park against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, July 13, to finish the first half of the 2025 season 59-38. He finished with his second straight game of allowing two or fewer runs over five-plus innings pitched, less than a month after back-to-back starts against the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays where he gave up a combined 15 earned runs.
Since then, Flaherty has given up three runs, three runs, two runs and two runs, respectively, in his past four starts. It's not exactly Skubal-like, but with 5-6 innings of volume in each start, it's output the high-scoring Tigers (4.96 runs per game) can work with.
"You kind of stumble into the (All-Star) break a bit, however you want to put it," Flaherty said Sunday after the Tigers' fourth straight defeat. "Myself, I could have thrown a bit better in the first half, but you wipe the slate clean and move forward."
The two runs Flaherty gave up on Sunday came courtesy of solo home runs from Julio Rodríguez in the third inning and Randy Arozarena in the fourth. Otherwise, Flaherty was effective, striking out seven batters in a game that exemplified his 2025 season.
According to Statcast, Flaherty is in the 89th percentile among all MLB pitchers in strikeout percentage (29.3%) and the 78th percentile in whiff percentage (29.4%), missing bats at a similar rate as he did in 2024. But he's in the 20th percentile in hard-hit percentage (44.6%) and 14th percentile in ground ball percentage (34.7%).
In short: batters have a hard time making contact against Flaherty. But when they do, they hit it hard.
It's a big reason why he has given up 19 home runs in 19 starts this year, by far the most HRs allowed on the Tigers. Those have often led to crooked scoreboards, giving Flaherty a 4.65 ERA, almost a full run above his career average (3.74).
But if Flaherty can keep runners off base, the big hits don't end up being so harmful, like the two solo home runs he gave up Sunday.
"The way he finished his outing and held us in the game ... when they chipped away with the two homers, Jack didn't cave," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "I'm always encouraged by Jack, because he's a good-executed day from dominating the other side."
There are reasons to be encouraged by Flaherty's performance as the season runs past the midway point. If you take out the two June starts where he gave up 15 earned runs, Flaherty's ERA falls from 4.65 to 3.55, lower than league average (4.09). He's put up a near-league-average 4.07 ERA with 31 strikeouts in his past four starts, and importantly given the team at least five innings each time.
It's not a perfect end to Flaherty's first half, especially for a team that could use him for big postseason starts after his World Series run with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024. But they're small steps forward for the righty, which could lead to a much better second half in the middle of the rotation.
To ensure his second half improves, Flaherty says he's taking his time during the All-Star break for a "mental reset."
"And get ready for the grind that is the second half, that is the end of July, August, September and hopefully deep into October," he said.
You can reach Christian at [email protected]. Follow the best Tigers coverage all-year round at www.freep.com/sports/tigers.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers' Jack Flaherty inching closer to form with All-Star break goal
Category: Baseball
