by Seneca Sumners
Jack Flaherty is in the second year of the two-year contract that he signed in February of 2025. Last season was not the kind of year he would’ve liked after a strong 2024 campaign, but many of his advanced metrics suggested he pitched better than his overall numbers showed. This season has also gotten off to a shaky start, though there is still plenty of time for the veteran right-hander to settle in and turn things around.
Despite the rough beginning, there are still flashes of the pitcher Flaherty has been throughout his career. His strikeout ability remains solid and his stuff continues to generate swings and misses at a respectable rate. According to his Baseball Savant page, his curveball is still one of his better weapons, producing a whiff rate over 36 percent while limiting hard contact far better than some of his other pitches. His four-seam fastball has also continued to miss bats at times, helping him maintain decent strikeout numbers even while struggling with consistency.
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However, command issues and hard contact have hurt Flaherty early in the season. His slider, which was one of his stronger pitches in 2025, has been hit much harder this year. Opponents are slugging over .600 against it, and hitters have consistently punished mistakes left in the zone. His fastball has also allowed a hard-hit percentage above 55 percent, showing that opposing hitters are seeing the ball well when he falls behind in counts.
One of the biggest problems for Flaherty has been efficiency. In several recent outings, he has struggled to work deep into games because of walks and high pitch counts. Reports around the Tigers have pointed out that he has not completed more than 3 2/3 innings in some of his recent starts, forcing Detroit’s bullpen to carry extra innings early in games.
To get back on track, Flaherty may need to lean more heavily on his curveball while improving the location of his fastball. His curve remains his best swing-and-miss pitch, but his slider has become less effective when left over the plate. Working ahead in counts and attacking the strike zone earlier could help him avoid the long at bats and walks that have caused trouble this season.
There are still reasons for optimism. Even during last season’s disappointing campaign, Flaherty still struck out 188 hitters and posted underlying numbers that were noticeably better than his ERA. Many projections entering this year expected some level of bounce back because of his ability to generate strikeouts and miss barrels when he is commanding his pitches well.
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At 30 years-old, Flaherty still has the talent to be an important piece of Detroit’s rotation and is getting another shot at it Sunday May 17th against the Blue Jays at 1:40 pm EST looking for his first win. If he can tighten his command and reduce the damage on his breaking pitches, there is a strong chance his numbers improve as the season progresses. The Tigers know what Flaherty is capable of when he is at his best, and that’s what they hope they can unlock in the upcoming months.
