Detroit Tigers' Javier Báez raises his helmet to the fans on his first game back at Wrigley Field during the second inning to a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez) AP

Javier Baez hit a pair of solo home runs and the host Detroit Tigers downed the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 on Tuesday.

Javier Báez isn’t necessarily comfortable being the kid called to the front of the class. But there was no way his teammates weren’t going to celebrate him before the game Tuesday, the day he secured 10 years of MLB service time.

Yet, the Tigers still have a solid lead atop the American League Central, leading the Minnesota Twins by nine games. The Pirates come into Detroit at the bottom of the NL Central, 11 games out of a Wild Card spot. Time: 6:40 p.m. ET

See all the player props bets with current odds for the MLB matchup between the Detroit Tigers and Pirates on }{ day_of_week model.date }}, June 17,

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions,

Most major outlets rank the Tigers as the No. 1 team in baseball, including USA TODAY, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and CBS Sports. Despite dropping their most recent series to the Cincinnati Reds, the Detroit Tigers maintain MLB's best record at 46-27 entering Monday's play.

We've had five different No. 1 teams here in Power Rankings this season already (Dodgers, Phillies, Padres, Mets, Tigers) while two more (the Cubs and Yankees) have been awfully close multiple times.

The Detroit Tigers maintain their grip on the top spot as several teams make moves in the latest Sportsnaut MLB