It looked like the Detroit Tigers were set to easily take the AL Central, but after Sunday's games, the Cleveland Guardians are just six games behind. If the Tigers want to not only win the division but also compete for the World Series, two players in particular will be under the most pressure to step up in the final stretch and into the playoffs.
Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller listed 30 players in MLB who face pressure to perform when their team needs them most. In the Tigers' case, it's unlikely they will lose the division, so the tense moments will come for the players where Javier Báez and Kyle Finnegan must perform.
Regarding Finnegan, he will have to show that he can elevate his game after arriving in Detroit before the MLB trade deadline, going from a Washington Nationals team that was under .500 to a team with World Series aspirations.
"Finnegan saved 108 games over the past four-plus seasons with the Washington Nationals, but he had an ERA north of 3.50 in each year and, really, how much pressure is there in the ninth inning for a team at least 20 games below .500 in all those seasons?" Miller wrote.
"At the deadline, though, he went straight from a 44-64 team to a 64-46 World Series hopeful and has thus far welcomed the increase in pressure with three virtually flawless saves. Can he remain the anchor for an iffy bullpen?"
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As for the second player on the Tigers who is under pressure to perform when the lights are brightest, it's Báez. He's batting .265 with 87 hits, 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 48 runs scored in 97 games for the Tigers this season, but can that production help Detroit get out of a recent slump?
"He was on the IL for the entirety of last year's incredible surge to the postseason, but it's kind of up to Detroit's $140M man (and wholly unexpected 2025 All-Star) to steer this team away from what would be a historic collapse if they don't resume winning more regularly," Miller added.
"The fact that Báez hit .180/.180/.246 in July kind of flew under the national radar, but the expensive free-swinger could come under a lot of scrutiny if the Tigers—already an MLB-worst 7-16 from July 9 through August 7—keep sputtering."