The Detroit Tigers have established themselves as legitimate title contenders throughout the early part of the 2025 MLB season. A total of 44 victories through 69 games has the Tigers on pace to hit the 100-game mark for the first time in 40 years, and the stellar performance so far has resulted in their owning the fourth-best World Series odds (+800) on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Solidifying themselves as one of baseball's best teams, the Tigers are finally starting to get the respect they deserve from their peers and experts. The noise coming out of the Motor City is too much to ignore to the point that Major League Baseball has no choice but to shine the spotlight on A.J. Hinch's club.
MLB Flexes Upcoming Tigers vs. Twins Showdown to Sunday Night Baseball on June 29
The rest of the Tigers' schedule this month features some interesting matchups, including a three-game series against the rival Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park from June 27-29. With both AL Central clubs exceeding expectations this season, the MLB has decided to make a significant change to the upcoming series.
On Thursday, ESPN announced that the June 29 Tigers vs. Twins showdown will now be that week's Sunday Night Baseball showdown. The AL Central clash will be taking place at 7 p.m. ET rather than its original 1:40 p.m. ET start time.
It'll be interesting to see what the AL Central standings look like once the nationally broadcasted collision arrives. As of June 12, the Tigers are seven games ahead of the Twins for the AL Central lead, and while things look promising now, anything can change in just a few short weeks.
The end-of-the-month series will be the second of the 2025 season between the AL Central foes. They previously collided at Target Field for a three-game series in the middle of April, resulting in two victories for the Tigers that proved to the Twins who the division's team to beat is.
There are just over two weeks until that series, though, giving the Tigers ample room to generate even more momentum. Before meeting Minnesota again, Detroit has some upcoming series against the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Athletics — all teams that are currently outside of a playoff spot.
Assuming they can capitalize on their enticing upcoming schedule, the Tigers' gap over the Twins should be even bigger by the time Sunday Night Baseball rolls around.
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