Gipson-Long only made four starts for the Tigers as a rookie in 2023, though there were signs of optimism during that brief stretch. The righty posted a 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 26 strikeouts across his 20 innings of work. The success wasn't entirely expected, as he posted just a 5.45 ERA across 34.2 innings with Triple-A Toledo before his promotion, and the 25-year-old didn't have the best prospect pedigree. That doesn't matter as much if he keeps pitching well, and Detroit has been short on quality starters in recent years. The Tigers will be welcoming former No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize (elbow) back into the mix in 2024, and Kenta Maeda also joined the team via free agency, so there is now more competition for rotation spots. Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning and Reese Olson will likely join Mize and Maeda in the rotation to begin the year, but only Maeda has an extended MLB track record among those players. That could open a door for Gipson-Long to start at some point in 2024, though he'll likely have to settle for a relief role early in the season. Read Past Outlooks