We might be witnessing one of the biggest collapses in baseball history — and considering the Chicago Cubs exist, that's saying something.
Entering September, the Cleveland Guardians were 10.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central. After the Guardians defeated the Tigers on Tuesday, the two teams are now tied atop the division. Whoda thunk it?
Two veteran pitchers will take the mound as this key series continues Wednesday, with Guardians SP Tanner Bibee facing Tigers SP Jack Flaherty. Let’s highlight their projections as part of our Tigers vs. Guardians picks on PrizePicks.
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Tigers vs. Guardians Prediction, Picks for 9/24/25
With their win Tuesday, the Guardians took the season series from the Tigers, giving them the divisional tiebreaker. If the Tigers want to win the AL Central, they will need to finish a game ahead of Cleveland.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are 1-10 over their last 11 games, low-lighted by a six-game homestand in which they went winless — yet with that rough patch, they're 46-35 at home this season. This series in Cleveland is troublesome, as the Tigers are a modest 39-37 on the road.
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians are in first place for the first time since April 22. They have been the hottest team in baseball, going 17-5 over their last 22 games. Amazingly, they are 13 games over .500 despite having a minus-6 run differential for the season, making them the only team in MLB with a negative differential and a winning record.
Tigers vs. Guardians Picks & MLB DFS
Guardians SP Tanner Bibee vs. Tigers Projection: 6 Strikeouts
- Bibee has allowed 2 or fewer runs in each of his last six starts. In two of those outings, he delivered at least 8 strikeouts.
- The Guardians’ ace usually gives the team length, logging at least six innings in each of his last five outings.
- The Tigers have struck out the fifth-most times in baseball.
- In his last outing against the Tigers, Bibee posted 8 strikeouts over six innings. When he started against them back in May, he finished with 8 strikeouts across seven innings.
Tigers SP Jack Flaherty vs. Guardians Projection: 4.5 Hits Allowed
- Flaherty has pitched five or fewer innings in six of his last eight starts. During that span, he gave up fewer than 5 hits on four occasions.
- The veteran has control issues, posting an 8.9% walk rate this year. However, he has allowed just 142 hits over 156 2/3 innings.
- The Guardians have been winning in spite of their statistically lethargic lineup: They are batting .226 as a team this season and have recorded the fewest hits in baseball.
- Flaherty has faced the Guardians two times this season, allowing just 3 hits in each outing.
Tigers 2B Gleyber Torres vs. Guardians Projection: 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBIs
- Torres went 0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts in the first game of this series.
- Since the calendar flipped to September, Torres has hit 15-for-68 (.221) with 11 RBI and 10 runs scored over 19 games.
- The All-Star second baseman has a .829 OPS at home this season, but just a .685 OPS on the road.
- Facing Bibee could cause problems for Torres, as he only has a .314 wOBA and a .099 ISO against righties this season. That comes on the heels of his .299 wOBA and .098 ISO versus righties in 2024.
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The Tigers will attempt to prevent what could end up being one of the biggest collapses in baseball history, while the Guardians will look to remain hot and improve their chances of pulling off the epic comeback.
In addition to this Tigers vs. Guardians game, there are plenty of other projections to consider on PrizePicks. Just pick More or Less for at least two MLB player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks and win real money if your picks are correct.
And check out the Playbook for more daily MLB picks throughout the season.
