Tigers' Tyler Holton happy being the face of pitching chaos: 'I love the role'

DETROIT - While Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was in New York City on Saturday night to receive his American League Cy Young Award, his pitching-staff mate Tyler Holton was in Detroit, collecting some hardware of his own.

Holton, the Tigers versatile lefty, was named the Bill McAdam Tenth Man Award winner for 2024 by the Detroit Baseball Society.

The trophy was presented at the 2025 Detroit Baseball Dinner, just weeks before Holton is scheduled to arrive in Lakeland, Florida, as the Tigers look to repeat their magical playoff run.

Holton, in town with his wife, Storme, grew emotional accepting the award.

On a Tigers team filled with Tenth Man contenders, he became the first pitcher to receive the honor, which was first awarded in 2012.

Thats because Holton did it all in 2024.

As the face of the Tigers pitching chaos, he started nine games, finished 14 and pitched in every inning from the first through the 10th.

Hes ready to do it all again, though it remains to be seen whether he will fill the same role.

I love the role that I have right now, and I dont want to change, Holton told The Detroit News after the banquet at the Renaissance Center on Saturday.

I want to be able to be used wherever the team sees fit.

I enjoy pitching in different situations, and I just want to do whatever is going to help the team win.

I think we have a lot of guys that will give that same answer, and (manager AJ Hinch) puts us in different situations.

Its pretty incredible that we have so many guys that are willing to do many different things.

Being willing to take on different roles is one thing; thriving in those roles is another.

Holton, 28, was one of baseballs most valuable pitchers in 2024, despite not having a defined role.

Sometimes a starter, sometimes a bulk reliever and sometimes even a closer, he compiled a 3.1 WAR in 2024 - third on the Tigers behind Skubal (6.3) and outfielder Riley Greene (5.4).

He finished with a 2.19 ERA and a 0.784 WHIP.

Holton admitted it took time to adjust, particularly to games when he served as an opener or short-inning starter.

His time as a starter in professional baseball hadnt been stellar, so he worked to convince himself that starting was just another relief appearance.

That shift in mindset transformed his preparation and performance, as the Tigers rallied from a 0.2% chance of making the playoffs in mid-August to achieve it.

Its unclear how much the Tigers will rely on pitching chaos in 2025.

The rotation appears set with Skubal, Reese Olson, Alex Cobb and likely Jackson Jobe as locks, while Casey Mize, Keider Montero, Beau Brieske, Ty Madden, Matt Manning and others compete for the fifth spot.

The Tigers could also add a free-agent starter, particularly if they fail to sign their top offseason target, third baseman Alex Bregman.

A potential reunion with Jack Flaherty remains on the table, an idea the pitcher floated last week.

Then again, the Tigers hadnt planned on unleashing pitching chaos in 2024 - it arose out of necessity due to injuries and the midseason trade of Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

You dont see many teams do it.

I dont think we necessarily wanted to do it, Holton said.

I think that was just what we were faced with, and it worked.

It took us all the way to where we ended.

But at the end of the day, you have starters and relievers for a reason.

If we could have five clones of Tarik Skubal, Id rather do that.

The Tigers were one of MLBs most adaptable teams in 2024, and their youth likely played a role.

The clubhouse has a noticeable lack of ego: Matt Vierling will play anywhere, Kerry Carpenter is fine being pinch-hit for against lefties and Colt Keith agreed to move from second base to first base after the Tigers signed former All-Star second baseman Gleyber Torres to a one-year, $15 million contract.

Not every roster has players willing to be so flexible.

Economic factors often come into play, as players must consider their futures and earning potential.

Defined roles are traditionally more lucrative than versatile ones.

That reality isnt lost on Holton, a ninth-round pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018 who was claimed off waivers by the Tigers before the 2023 season.

He is arbitration-eligible after 2025, and free agency is on the horizon.

Pitchers are typically paid for their roles - starter, setup man or closer - but Holton defies categorization.

If Im being honest, the thought is there, right? said Holton, who currently earns a league-minimum salary.

But if Im thinking about those things, I immediately just check myself at the door.

Im so blessed to be where I am.

I try to put my ego aside and be thankful for the moment.

I love the opportunity that I have.

Winning is way more fun for me than anything else.

The Tigers proved themselves winners in 2024, going from written off in August to reaching Game 5 of the American League Division Series against Cleveland.

It was their first playoff appearance in a decade.

The Tigers offseason has been quiet, with only the signings of Torres and Cobb (both on one-year, $15 million deals), though theyve been linked to Bregman, Flaherty and slugger Anthony Santander (who signed with Toronto).

Holton, a baseball fan at heart, keeps up with MLB Trade Rumors and other updates on his phone.

He praised the signing of Torres, calling him a dangerous hitter, and hinted that the Tigers might not be done adding pieces before pitchers and catchers report on Feb.

12.

Holton, who also posted a 3.0 WAR in 2023 (second on the team behind Eduardo Rodriguez), said hes excited to reunite with teammates after last years remarkable ride.

Im just super excited to get ready for 2025, said Holton, who received one 10th-place AL MVP vote in 2024 (a tribute to the Tigers success with pitching chaos).

And tonight, seeing those hype videos and highlight reels, its been a long time since Ive seen a lot of those faces.

So Im excited to see everybody in a couple weeks and get back to work.

Whatever that work - anything and, more likely, everything - might entail..

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