What happened: Detroit opens its third season under Langdon and Bickerstaff coming off a 60-win campaign after 14- and 44-win seasons. The front office tied its summer tweaks to a new internal measure of growth for 2026-27.

Why it matters: A 46-win jump over two seasons moved Detroit from rebuild to contention math. Internal benchmarks now decide rotation and roster priorities more than win-total leaps.

What to watch: Training camp will show how the tweaks fit the rotation before the October opener.