DETROIT -- There was no raucous ovation for Casey Mize on his way to the dugout on Saturday afternoon, not like his Tigers rotation mate and good friend Tarik Skubal the previous night. Six innings of one-run ball with three strikeouts doesn’t often wow the way that 12 strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings will.
And yet, as Mize walked off the mound at Comerica Park for potentially one last time as a Tiger, he went out with the kind of outing that says volumes about his career in Detroit.
Getting to the sixth inning of Detroit's eventual 3-2 loss to Kansas City seemed shaky as Mize worked around a Royals-manufactured run in the second. His fastball, normally averaging 93.6 mph this season according to Statcast, struggled to sit at 90 in the second inning. He had just two whiffs through his first two innings, but nine foul balls. It was somewhat alarming given his early exit from his previous start.
“We’re adjusting a couple things mechanically that we think might be an issue leading to some of the recurring groin stuff,” Mize said. “Just trying to be ultra aware of that while still competing within a game can be difficult, probably led to a little bit of a different mechanical move, which probably led to some decreased velocity.”
By the third inning, Mize was back to throwing fastballs at 93 mph, topping out at 95. He was also getting strikeouts, fanning Carter Jensen on a slider and Lane Thomas on a splitter to end a 1-2-3 frame. After a two-out single from Vinnie Pasquantino, Mize froze Nick Loftin on a 94 mph heater to end the fourth.
“We did work with what we got,” catcher Jake Rogers said. “The velocity was a little down, so we tried to just hide the heater a little bit more, kind of a more surprise attack. But we didn’t veer off the plan that much. He did a really good job of mixing pitches and keeping his spin in the zone and splitter down. When he needed the heater, he was very good with it.”
The result was a very effective outing, if not a spectacular one. Mize retired 15 of his final 16 batters and didn’t look particularly challenged after Michael Massey’s second-inning sacrifice fly.
“Going into the game, we were thinking five innings, 75 pitches,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He ended up giving us more than that because he was efficient in the middle.”
On a day when Mize seemed to be fighting himself more than the Royals hitters, it was a big outing.
“I’m proud of that, even when I wasn’t at my best, to be able to get 18 outs and allow one run,” Mize said. “I feel like my floor has risen as a pitcher. Even when I’m not at my best, I can still provide quality.”
It has taken a while for Mize to get there, from two years recovering from Tommy John and back surgeries to a frustrating return season in 2024. The former No. 1 overall Draft pick took a big step toward his potential last year, from an All-Star selection to a six-strikeout, three-inning start against the Mariners in a must-win Division Series Game 4.
This hasn’t been the breakout season that Mize might have wanted, hampered in large part by recurring groin issues. But Mize has taken subtle steps forward from last year. He’s at career bests in a ton of categories, including ERA, strikeout rate and exit velocity. His home-run rate has dropped by half from last season.
Moreover, Mize has been consistent. He has thrown quality starts in eight of his 16 outings this season, no small feat considering he has left three starts early with injuries. He has allowed four or more earned runs just twice, and his season high is five. He has left 12 of his 16 starts with the Tigers either leading, tied or trailing by one.
Like Skubal, Mize entered this season in a contract year without a contract extension. Unlike Skubal, he hasn’t faced the spotlight of trade speculation. But there’s a reason many of the scouts who watched Skubal on Friday night stuck around for Saturday, and it wasn’t for breakfast downtown. Mize has appeal to teams, including some that might not be in on Skubal. If the Tigers sell at the Deadline, there’s a market for Mize.
Like Skubal, Mize -- who lines up to pitch next weekend on the road against the A’s -- hopes to stick around.
“We’re certainly making a push, as much as we can right around, to keep everything intact, with aspirations of making a run in the postseason,” Mize said. “We have to earn that to get there.”