For years, it seemed like Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize couldn't find success without his best stuff.
That has all changed, and 2018 No. 1 overall pick's blossoming may give the Tigers options as the trade deadline approaches.
Mize pitched effectively over six innings in Detroit's 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, July 25, allowing three hits and just one run while not walking any batters over his 18-out stint. The quality start came despite Mize's early struggles, with a lower-quality four-seam fastball posting nearly two miles per hour below his season average.
"It was a grind for sure, but [I came] out of it feeling good," Mize said. "I think
just given the context of the last start coming into this one, I wasn't going to be at my best physically."
Casey Mize still sharp even with early struggles
Mize left his previous start in the fourth inning, last Sunday, after taking a comebacker to his left wrist. And though he was cleared of any potential injury, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team initially planned for Mize to go five innings and finish around 75 pitches on Saturday.
Instead, Mize gave the Tigers six innings and 85 pitches, an efficient start in which Mize didn't miss many bats but still induced weak contact for easy fly outs. And the velocity on the four-seam fastball, which looked concerning early on, reached Mize's typical measurements by the third inning.
"He ended up giving us more than [our plan] because he was efficient in the middle of his outing," Hinch said. "I thought he did a really good job of getting early outs and building as the game came."
"He did great, did incredible actually," catcher Jake Rogers said. "We did work with what we got. His velocity was a little down, so [we] tried to hide the heater a little bit more and [launch] a more surprise attack. But we didn't veer off the plan that much."
Mize struggled through his first few seasons in the majors, dealing with injuries and inconsistent command of his best pitches. But the righty put it together in an All-Star season in 2025 and has already surpassed his production from last season by fWAR (per FanGraphs) 16 starts into 2026 as he has turned into, by some measures, the most productive pitcher on the Tigers' staff.
And while Saturday's game wasn't as dominant as his teammate Tarik Skubal's gem the night before, it was arguably more impressive with Mize not working with his best stuff and still outperforming expectations.
"I'm proud of that," Mize said. "Even when I wasn't at my best, able to get 18 outs and allow one run. I feel like my floor has risen as a pitcher. Even when I'm not at my best, I can still provide some quality."
That's a great development for Mize and an encouraging sign for Detroit's postseason chances – assuming Mize is still pitching for the Tigers after the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Casey Mize could be top trade target
Despite Mize's quality outing on Saturday, the one-run loss may have increased the chances of the Tigers dealing the righty before the trade deadline. Mize was recently ranked as the No. 16 MLB trade deadline target by ESPN, second on the Tigers behind Skubal (No. 1, of course) and the fifth-highest starting pitcher.
With the 50-55 Tigers having seven games – one Sunday against the Royals, three at home against the Baltimore Orioles and three in West Sacramento against the Athletics – remaining before the Aug. 3 deadline, they need to continue winning games (perhaps at least five of the seven) against the sub-.500 squads to convince the front office to become deadline buyers, instead of deadline sellers.
Anything less than a dominant week of games means that Mize might be on the move.
And if he is, the Tigers would be selling high on him. The 29-year-old has shown his 2025 All-Star campaign wasn't a fluke and now possesses playoff experience, putting up a 3.00 ERA over two 2025 postseason starts. Now healthy but cautious, Mize has also shown he can be a top-end starter without his best stuff. And with a relatively cheap contract for the rest of the season (a little over $2 million per ESPN's calculations), Mize's list of suitors could be as big as that of any starter who hasn't won back-to-back American League Cy Young Awards.
So with much less fanfare than what Skubal received on Friday, Mize went to the Comerica Park mound in home whites for what could be the last time this season. He acknowledged that possibility after the game, but didn't have much to say on the matter.
"I didn't consider the fact that this could be the last one here. Honestly, no," he said. "I was just focused on pitching and trying to get a win. Came up short, which is frustrating, but no, it didn't come up."
Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Casey Mize making his case as potential trade chip for Detroit Tigers
