Detroit Tigers: Casey Mize starting 2021 off on the right foot after two starts
By Tyler Kotila
The Detroit Tigers are seeing starting pitcher Casey Mize start the 2021 season off on the right foot. Mize has made two starts for the Tigers and been exceptional so far, looking as if he is really going to find his groove in 2021.
Under the direction of newly returned pitching coach Chris Fetter, Mize will look to be the dominant pitcher on the mound that the Tigers have been hoping for, for a while now. His first start may not have been as dominant as his recent one.
Not to say that Fetter is drastically helping Mize, but that’s basically what is going on. Fetter missed Mize’s first start during his COVID-19 absence, which was a good one but not nearly as dominant as in the second start of the season.
The hope is that Mize will become the team’s new ace alongside the rest of the young arms who are making their way to the big leagues slowly but surely. Early on in 2021, it seems that Mize and Tarik Skubal’s battle for this ace role is more than alive.
Mize seemingly fell into the passenger seat to Skubal in 2020, but to start the 2021 season, it has been the other way around.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize has been quite impressive in his second year on the bump in the big leagues.
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In his first start of the 2021 season, Mize would toss four innings against the Minnesota Twins, where he would allow five hits but just one run while walking two and striking out four.
He tossed 82 total pitches, with 50 of them being strikes.
His most recent start against the Houston Astros saw Mize throw seven innings where he would allow just four hits, surrendering two walks and adding five punchouts to his line before exiting.
He threw 89 pitches, 62 of them for strikes with six whiffs on the day as well.
In total, Mize’s 11 innings pitched have contributed to a 0.82 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP to start out the 2021 season. Not too shabby for Mize, who is coming into his second season in the big leagues looking to find his groove.
Two starts is not a big enough sample size to predict his whole season, but it appears that Mize is going to continue to settle in nicely for the near future. Mize has been exceptional in 2021, and the Tigers are looking to snowball this success into a phenomenal full season.
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Keep an eye on Casey Mize as he continues on through his 2021 season for the Detroit Tigers.