On May 12, the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, the two teams with the most points in the Alex Bregman sweepstakes throughout the winter, will play each other for the first time this season.
Bregman’s talents were finally acquired by the Red Sox, who signed him to a three-year, $120 million contract with opt-outs at the end of each year. Slashing is being done by the third baseman. 311/.384/.567 over 41 games with a.951 OPS. He leads the club with 51 hits and 15 doubles, and is tied for the lead with 31 RBI.
Bregman chose to go to Boston with a more flexible deal and a better average yearly value, despite the Tigers’ offer of $171.5 million over six years. Rumor has it that he wanted to be there nonetheless. With a recently redesigned starting rotation and strong offensive expectations, the Red Sox’s postseason window also seemed more open than the Tigers’.
However, Boston has wasted the simplest portion of its schedule, while Detroit has already greatly surpassed expectations. With the exception of the poor White Sox, who have suffered three losses to the Red Sox this season, the Tigers appear to be the best club in the increasingly competitive AL Central.
The Tigers advanced to the playoffs in a Wild Card spot after going on a tear in the second half of the previous campaign. Detroit had a near-miraculous 39-26 record in the second half of the season despite being a seller at the trade deadline. Its best month of the season was September, which, of course, began with a series win against the Red Sox, who were still in the hunt for a Wild Card spot themselves. The Tigers went 17-8 in September and made it to the ALDS, where they fell to the division foe Guardians.
In 2024, Detroit continued exactly where it had left off. Thanks to incredibly impressive performances by 2024 Cy Young Award and Triple Crown winner Tarik Skubal, who has amassed 60 strikeouts in 47.2 innings, the Tigers have maintained their hold on first place in the AL Central. With nine home runs and a.284/.307/.537 slash line, Kerry Carpenter is the offensive leader, followed closely by Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson. Even Gleyber Torres, a previously struggling Yankee, has improved his career in Detroit, achieving a.284/.355/.440 slash line.
In a relatively lackluster American League, the Tigers may have been unbeatable if Bregman had been in the mix and playing as well as he has in 2025. It should be mentioned that the size of Fenway Park, where Bregman has played throughout his career, may have contributed significantly to his performance. In 41 career games at Fenway, he has a.336/.444/.665 slash line with a 1.108 OPS, but in 21 games at Comerica Park, he is only.227/.281/.421 with a.702 OPS.
Perhaps it was a major factor in Bregman’s decision to sign with Boston this season. In any case, from May 12–14, he and the Red Sox will have the opportunity to demonstrate that he made the proper choice. The Tigers might also show him that his decision was incorrect.
