Scott Harris, president of baseball operations for the Detroit Tigers, reaffirms his commitment to developing young hitters and avoiding shortcuts. Harris stressed this approach as essential for ending the Tigers’ lengthy playoff drought.
Since taking his role 20 months ago, Scott Harris has overseen the implementation of this strategy, which has resulted in one of the least productive lineups in the majors. This “high-variance” offense, as Harris describes it,
Detroit Tigers: Scott Harris Emphasizes Long-Term Strategy Over
has occasionally shown flashes of potential but often struggles to put runs on the board. Harris cited Riley Greene as a successful example of this developmental strategy. The former fifth overall pick has improved his OPS from .682 as a rookie to .850 in his third year. “The best players in baseball often struggle really early in their career. … We can’t just jump off the train with some of the young guys because we’re going to miss some really good years in the future,” Harris said.
Nevertheless, Scott Harris understands the frustration of the fanbase, who have endured nearly a decade of underperformance and false hopes. The Tigers are currently in their eighth consecutive losing season with a playoff drought extending to 10 years. “One of the differences between me and fans is I’m really emotional when I watch the Tigers play, but I actively have to divorce emotions from decision-making,” Harris acknowledged. “I have to push the organization forward in a healthy, constructive way. That means building it the right way. That doesn’t mean chasing shortcuts.”