Scott Harris has taken plenty of heat for the misses in his time running the Detroit Tigers’ baseball operations, but every so often a low-risk move turns into exactly the kind of useful surprise a front office needs. Right-hander Jacob Waguespack is looking like one of those swings.
The Tigers’ bullpen has not exactly carried the club this season. During a rough May, Detroit led baseball in blown leads, and even after a strong June and an early push into July, the Tigers still sit five games out of an AL playoff spot.
Will Vest, Kenley Jansen and Kyle Finnegan were supposed to help stabilize things, but those returns didn’t really show up until the Tigers were already buried. Vest, in particular, struggled when he wasn’t working the ninth inning.
Waguespack hasn’t been asked to handle the biggest spots, but he has quietly given Detroit something it badly needed: steady outs. Since June 15, he hasn’t allowed an earned run.
Jacob Waguespack 10.2 IP 5H. Hasn’t allowed an earned run since June 15th.
- Rogelio Castillo (@rogcastbaseball) July 8, 2026
Harris claimed Waguespack earlier this season even though the reliever hadn’t appeared in an MLB game since 2024. It’s the kind of under-the-radar pickup that can get lost in the shuffle, especially for a pitcher who was drafted in the 37th round in 2012 and didn’t reach the majors until 2019 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Before Detroit grabbed him, he had been stuck in Triple-A with the Milwaukee Brewers.
“It’s all learning experiences, man,” Waguespack told The Detroit News. “Every day you put in the work and see what happens.
It’s nice to get this chance, this opportunity. That is what I’m most grateful for - the opportunity.”
He’s mostly worked in lower-pressure innings for Detroit, but the Tigers have also shown they’re comfortable leaning on him to finish a game. He handled the final six outs in Tuesday night’s win over the Athletics.
That role isn’t new to him, either. Waguespack has pitched in big moments around the world, including with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan’s NPB.
“Pitching in big moments in front of a lot of people, those moments hardened me for the future,” Waguespack said. “I got some valuable experience there pitching in those moments, and winning and losing was all part of it.”
Manager AJ Hinch has liked what he’s seen and sounds open to using Waguespack wherever the situation calls for it. With 162 games to navigate, the Tigers are going to need production from places nobody expected if they want to climb back into the AL Wild Card race.
“He’s been good," Hinch said. "He's getting some funny swings out of guys.
He hides the ball a little bit. He's got some extension.
He gets them to swing under the ball quite a bit and he's got the equalizer changeup. I've been impressed by his demeanor and his ability to create some good leverage for himself."
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