Detroit Tigers 2026 TV Schedule & How to Watch Games
Share
The Detroit Tigers put together a second straight playoff season that ended in a heartbreaking elimination game in the AL Division Round. They were at the very least able to overcome a second half slump that cost them the division.
Tarik Skubal won his second straight Cy Young, Riley Green and Spencer Torkelson put up career years and in the offseason, they signed Framber Valdez to strengthen their already strong rotation.
Check out the 2026 Detroit Tigers TV schedule right here to make sure you never miss a single steal, home run or seventh inning stretch of the upcoming season.
If you love baseball and aren’t a DIRECTV customer yet, now’s the time to change that.
Founding Season: 1901 Division: American League Central Home Ballpark: Comerica Park World Series Titles: 4 (1935, 1945, 1968, 1984) 2025 Finish: Lost in AL Division Series
2025 Detroit Tigers Performance
The Detroit Tigers had one of the more interesting seasons in Major League Baseball in 2025. They started off white hot and were up by 15.5 games on the Cleveland Guardians at just about the All-Star break. But then they collapsed in the second half and lost the division in the final days of the season.
The Tigers rebounded in the first round, beating the Guardians in the Wild Card series before losing the Division Series in five games to the Mariners. Their second-half dip cost them a division title, but otherwise, it was a good year for the Tigers.
2025 Season Highlights
Tarik Scubal won the Cy Young for the second straight season. He led the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio, ERA, and wins above replacement.
Offensively, Riley Green and Spencer Torkelson each hit 30 home runs, while Kerry Carpenter added another 26. The team got solid play from Dylan Dingler behind the plate, Gleyber Torres, Zach McKinstry and Javier Báez.
Though they fell short of the World Series, Tigers fans had a lot to be excited about.
Detroit Tigers TV Schedule
The Tigers open their season out west as they take on the San Diego Padres on March 26 at 4:10 p.m. Eastern.
Their first series with Cleveland is a four-game slate from mid-May and another date against Seattle two weeks later.
Here’s a look at the team’s first two months, along with where to watch games live on TV. Games that do not have a national broadcast listed are typically available on a team’s RSN or local streaming channel.
If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, there are still plenty of ways to catch every game on the Detroit Tigers schedule with DIRECTV. Below are a few networks where you can watch Tigers baseball games.
The ace enters the season once again as one of the best — if not the best pitchers — in baseball, going for his third straight Cy Young. Skubal found new ways to be unhittable, lowering his ERA after a unanimous Cy Young season. He led the league in shutouts, strikeouts, hits per innings pitched and walks. He’s just getting you out — there’s no way around it. He averaged 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
Framber Valdez – SP
Detroit added Framber Valdez on a three-year deal that gives them a strong number two starter. Valdez is looking to rebound from a down year in 2025, but he was the clear best free agent lefthander. Detroit’s rotation will once again need to be the strength for this team.
Justin Verlander – SP
Verlander is back where it all started in year 21. The veteran right hander returns to Detroit on a one-year deal to add even further depth to the Tigers rotation. Verlander’s 2025 was down in the first half, but he was one of the best pitchers by ERA in the second half of the season.
Kerry Carpenter – OF/DH
Carpenter set a career high with 26 home runs and 215 total bases in 2025. He was also one of Detroit’s best hitters in the playoffs punctuated by a clutch game 1 home run in the ALDS. When healthy, Carpenter is a regular at the top of the Tigers lineup and if he can channel his post season heroics, he can be an All-Star.
Spencer Torkelson – 1B
Torkelson buried a disappointing 2024 by putting up his best year at the plate. He tied a career high with 31 home runs and set new highs in batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage.
Riley Green – OF/DH
Green was named an All-Star for the second straight year and set a career high with 36 home runs and 111 RBIs. He also won a Silver Slugger and was named to his second straight All-Star team.
Zach McKinstry – SS/Utility
McKinstry will likely be the starter at shortstop after putting up an All-Star campaign in his sixth year in the league. But the super utility man will play a little third and possibly outfield too. He set career highs in doubles, triples and home runs a year ago and another solid year would give Detroit another edge come postseason time.
Gleyber Torres – 2B
Gleyber Torres made his third All-Star team and put up a solid offensive performance in his first season with Detroit. He faltered a bit in the playoffs and will look at the 2026 season as a fresh start.
Dillon Dingler – C
In his first full season as a starter, Dingler impressed as one of the better hitting catchers in the league with 13 home runs, 21 doubles, and a .752 OPS, on top of winning a Gold Glove behind the plate. Detroit has invested heavily in their battery with Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, and Dingler as a gem at the backstop.
Top Prospects to Watch
Kevin McGonigle – SS/INF
Another player to watch could be Kevin McGonigle, the number two prospect in all of baseball. The left-handed hitting shortstop could get time at second base, especially if he puts together a strong spring training run. Otherwise, Detroit will turn to Javier Báez, who had one of his best seasons at the plate in a few years.
Max Clark – OF
Ranked number 10 overall, Clark would bolster an outfield that could allow Detroit to explore trading one of its major league options. The third overall pick in 2023, if he’s able to outcompete last year’s starters, Detroit might explore either bringing him up or keeping him down until they can find a trade partner for one of their major league players. The only thing that would hold Max Clark back is the depth that Detroit has at outfield.
Bryce Rainer – SS
The 35th overall prospect in MLB’s Top 100 and the 11th overall pick in 2024, Rainer is a shortstop in Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers. He has legit pop from the left side of the plate. In the Florida State League, he was hitting in the 90th percentile of exit velocity. Still just 20, he’s probably in for a longer wait for a Major League roster spot.
Josue Briceño – C/1B/DH
The six-foot-four catcher/first baseman has powered his way through the Arizona Fall League and High-A West Michigan, hitting a combined 25 home runs in 80 games. With Dillon Dingler above him, he’d theoretically see most of his time in competition at first base or at DH.
Still just 21, there could be some time before Briceño makes his way to the major leagues on a regular basis. In the meantime, the power-hitting lefty will probably just keep slugging down in Double-A.
Detroit Tigers Division Rivalries 2026
After a brutal collapse in 2025, Detroit has now gone a full decade since their last AL Central title. Their biggest adversaries this season will be the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals. Let’s see how they stack up.
Cleveland Guardians
Detroit’s rivalries start with the Cleveland Guardians, who came from behind in dramatic fashion and beat Detroit five out of the last six times they played to rip the division crown away. The Tigers will be looking for revenge when they face Cleveland in their first matchup, a four-game series from May 18 to May 21.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals finished the season on the winning side at 82-80 and have the talent to compete with the Guardians and even challenge Detroit for the crown if things break their way. They don’t have the pitching that Detroit has, but Bobby Witt Jr. is an MVP candidate at short and they have promising pieces on offense that could threaten Detroit. Their first matchup with Kansas City comes from April 14 to April 16.
WATCH MLB GAMES LIVE WITH DIRECTV
Did you know DIRECTV has the most MLB games available for fans to watch? That’s right. In fact, DIRECTV has more in-market Regional Sports Networks than DISH, YouTube TV & Hulu+ Live combined. What’s not to like?
If you love baseball and aren’t a DIRECTV customer yet, now’s the time to change that.
DIRECTV Insider brings you our views on what’s happening in streaming, t.v., movies and sports. Companies and persons mentioned are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. We will disclose sponsored content on our site when we show it to you, and some of the links on the site may be ads or affiliate links which means DIRECTV may earn compensation from your purchases.
