Baseball is back!

The return of spring training baseball is one of the sure signs that the end of winter is near, even if it's still too cold for baseball in Michigan.

Can the Detroit Tigers spring training results predict how the regular season will go?

We've collected the Detroit Tigers spring training and regular season records starting from 1984 to look for clues or tendencies to predict how spring training results affect the regular season.

Due to multiple reasons, the number of games in spring training and the regular season have varied. Percentage of games won is the best way to compare season records.

Spring Training records via ESPN and SpringTrainingMagazine.com. Regular season records via the Detroit Tigers.

   Spring Training, Regular Season

2015: 12-20 (.375), 74-87 (.460)

2014: 15-12 (.556), 90-72 (.556)

2013: 19-14 (.576), 93-69 (.574)

2012: 20-8 (.714), 88-74 (.543)

2011: 20-14 (.588), 95-67 (.586)

2010: 18-12 (.600), 81-81 (.500)

2009: 15-17 (.469), 86-77 (.528)

2008: 15-14 (.517), 74-88 (.457)

2007: 21-10 (.677), 88-74 (.543)

2006: 18-15 (.545), 95-67 (.586)

2005: 13-14 (.481), 71-91 (.438)

2004: 14-17 (.452), 72-99 (.444)

2003: 10-19 (.345), 43-119 (.265)

2002: 16-15 (.516), 55-106 (.342)

2001: 13-14 (.481), 66-96 (.407)

2000: 15-14 (.517), 79-83 (.488)

1999: 15-15 (.500), 69-92 (.429)

1998: 17-14 (.548), 65-97 (.401)

1997: 12-18 (.400), 79-83 (.488)

1996: 20-10 (.667), 53-109 (.327)

1995: 5-7 (.417), 60-84 (.417)

1994: 12-15 (.444), 53-62 (.461)

1993: 8-22 (.267), 85-77 (.525)

1992: 15-15 (.500), 75-87 (.463)

1991: 8-22 (.267), 84-78 (.519)

1990: 6-8 (.429), 79-83 (.488)

1989: 15-16 (.469), 59-103 (.364)

1988: 11-19 (.367), 88-74 (.543)

1987: 9-20 (.310), 98-64 (.605)

1986: 18-11 (.600), 87-75 (.537)

1985: 17-13 (.567), 84-77 (.522)

1984: 11-17 (.393), 104-58 (.642)

  • Of the five worst regular season records ('89, '96, '98, '02, '03), three of them were preceded by winning spring training seasons.
  • Of the five best regular season records ('84, '87, '06, '11, '13), two of them were preceded by losing spring training seasons.
  • Of the five worst spring training records ('87, '88, '91, '93, '03), all but one ('03) were followed by a winning regular season.
  • Of the five best spring training records ('86, '96, '07, '10, '12), only one ('96) was followed by a losing record in the regular season.

Hard to find much of a correlation, but there has been one tendency recently. In three out of the last five seasons the spring training and regular season records have matched almost exactly.

2014: 15-12 (.556), 90-72 (.556)

2013: 19-14 (.576), 93-69 (.574)

2011: 20-14 (.588), 95-67 (.586)

If you're searching for a strong relationship between spring training results and the regular season, you're going to have to keep looking.

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