This article has been updated with new information.

The Detroit Tigers entered the trade deadline as sellers, trading away seasoned players like Jack Flaherty, Andrew Chafin, and Mark Canha. After August 10, they found themselves eight games under the .500 mark and ten games behind in the wild-card race, with only a 0.2% chance of making the playoffs, according to Fangraphs.

Fast forward less than 50 days later, and the Tigers have clinched a postseason spot for the first time since 2014.

To secure an American League wild-card position, the Tigers needed one victory in their three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. They quickly accomplished this goal by winning 4-1 in the opener of the series on Friday, propelling them into the playoffs.

The regular season wraps up on Sunday.

“We’re really pleased with how we’re executing, not only what we’re achieving,” said manager A.J. Hinch before Friday’s match. “We’ve put in significant effort to ensure consistent play every day. The character and spirit of this team are exceptional. We focus on playing to win, and we’ve had a lot of success lately, with hopes for more to come.”

Looking ahead, the Tigers will kick off the postseason on Tuesday, facing either the Houston Astros or the Baltimore Orioles. The specific matchup and game location for the three-game wild-card series will be determined by the final seeding of the wild-card teams, which may not be confirmed until late Sunday evening.

Expected to take the mound in Game 1 of the wild-card series is Tarik Skubal, a leading contender for the AL Cy Young Award. The left-hander possesses an impressive record with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts across 31 starts.

“The thrill of pitching in the postseason and aiming for the championship is what makes this game worthwhile,” Skubal stated before Thursday’s match. “Winning the championship is my top priority. While I appreciate awards, winning a World Series ring is the ultimate goal for me.”

To secure their playoff position, the Tigers surged with an impressive 31-11 record in 42 games since August 11. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Twins struggled, going just 12-24 in their last 36 games since August 18, which allowed the Tigers to close the gap.

Indeed, the Tigers have joined the 1973 New York Mets as the only teams to reach the playoffs after being eight games under .500 through 115 games.

The pitching prowess has been a significant factor in the contrasting finishes of the Tigers and the Twins. Since August 11, the Tigers lead all of Major League Baseball with a stellar 2.60 ERA, while the Twins have fallen to 25th in the league with a 4.65 ERA since August 18.

What fueled the Tigers’ successful run? A top-notch pitching lineup featuring both openers and relief pitchers, despite having just two starters in the rotation for over a month, the return of key position players from injuries, increased base-running aggressiveness, and the strategic leadership of a World Series-winning manager who consistently makes the right calls to elevate team performance.

“It feels like I’ve been managing as if every game is Game 7 for the past two months,” Hinch remarked. “Our goal is to win each game, and we’ll rely on the players that can help us achieve that. We’re committed to continuing the brand of baseball that got us here. We need to play each inning with the intention of winning, adjusting our strategy as necessary.”

As of Friday’s match, the Tigers boast the youngest roster in Major League Baseball, with an average age of 26.3 years. Only two players on the team — outfielder Matt Vierling and right-handed reliever Kenta Maeda — have any postseason experience.

With their postseason appearance, the Tigers have ended a nine-year drought, tying for the longest active streak in Major League Baseball. This achievement comes in the second year of leadership under president of baseball operations Scott Harris, who was hired on September 19, 2022, after the dismissal of general manager Al Avila.

During their last playoff run, the Tigers were swept by the Orioles in the 2014 AL Division Series, despite featuring star pitchers Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and David Price.

The franchise has reached the playoffs 17 times across 125 seasons, with victories in the World Series in 1935, 1945, 1968, and 1984. However, since their 1984 championship, they have made the playoffs only seven times in the last 40 years.

While the final seeding is still to be determined, the six American League teams qualified for the playoffs are the New York Yankees (AL East), Cleveland Guardians (AL Central), Astros (AL West), Orioles (wild card), Tigers (wild card), and Kansas City Royals (wild card).

Among these teams, the Tigers have taken the most unexpected path to the playoffs.

The thrilling journey continues.