Detroit Tigers: Who are the leadoff candidates for 2018?

The Detroit Tigers will have questions to answer going into this coming season. Among them is finding a new leadoff hitter.

Last month, the Detroit Tigers traded Ian Kinsler to the Los Angeles Angels. Kinsler had spent four seasons in Detroit, slashing .275/.328/.436 over 607 games. During his time in Detroit, Kinsler made an All-Star team, won a Gold Glove and consistently provided excellent value with both the bat and the glove.

The Angels, who already have the best player in the game in Mike Trout, have had a noisy offseason. They signed Justin Upton to a new deal and inked Zack Cozart to a three-year contract to play third base. They also, of course, brought in Japanese superstar Shohei Otani. Kinsler will be joining what could potentially be an outstanding club.

With Kinsler no longer in town, the Tigers will need to find a new leadoff hitter for 2018. During his tenure in Detroit, Kinsler typically batted in one of the top two spots in the order. Last year, he hit almost exclusively in the leadoff spot.

Admittedly, Kinsler did not have his best season last year. Through 139 games, he batted .236/.313/.412 (90 OPS+) with 22 home runs and 52 RBI. It wasn’t the same kind of year he had back in 2016 when he hit .288/.348/.484 (122 OPS+) with 28 home runs and 83 RBI.

Still, while Kinsler was not a .300 hitter or an on-base machine last season, he provided both power and a certain amount of speed out of the leadoff spot. The Tigers could have a tough task in replacing him. Here are a few candidates who could bat leadoff for Ron Gardenhire‘s Tigers in 2018.

Mikie Mahtook

After coming over in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays before the beginning of last season, Mikie Mahtook went on to have a mini-breakout year for the Tigers in 2017. He hit .276/.330/.457 (105 OPS+) with 12 home runs and 38 RBI. He appears poised to be the Tigers’ primary left-fielder going into the coming season.

Mahtook also appears to have tools to be a decent leadoff hitter. Last year, he showed an ability to hit for solid average and get on base reasonably consistently. He also has respectable speed and adequate power. He would be the type of leadoff hitter who can begin a game with a home run.

At this moment in time, however, Mahtook’s experience in the leadoff spot is quite limited. He has started only seven games at leadoff so far in his brief career.

It is also possible that the Tigers could benefit from having Mahtook bat lower in the order. While his 12 home runs from last season may not seem like an imposing total, per se, it is worth noting that he only played in 109 games. Over the course of a full 162-game season, it is indeed possible that he could hit closer to 20 homers. Fangraphs Steamer is currently projecting that Mahtook will belt 16 homers next season.

As it currently stands, the Tigers may need a little bit more thump in the middle of their batting order. While Nicholas Castellanos is coming off of a breakout season, superstar Miguel Cabrera will be looking to rebound from the worst season of his career. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the soon-to-be 35-year-old Cabrera return to his usual self, as long as he is healthy, but it is hard to know what to expect for sure.  It is also tough to know what to expect out of Victor Martinez, who also had a down year in 2017 and missed the end of last season after undergoing a heart procedure.

Jose Iglesias

Now entering his final year before free agency, Jose Iglesias has been a productive player for several years now. While Iglesias is known more for his excellent defense at shortstop, he has been decent with the bat as well. Since coming over before the trade deadline in 2013, Iglesias has hit .268/.312/.357 in his career with the Tigers.

Going by the metrics of OPS+ and wRC+ Iglesias has been a below league average hitter, posting marks of 82 and 81, respectively, for his career. Still, he is a guy who knows how to handle the bat and doesn’t strike out very often. He has a lifetime K rate of just 12.3 percent. He is also someone who knows how to lay down a bunt.

Iglesias does have a little bit of experience batting at the top of the order, but he has typically done better work when batting at or near the bottom of the lineup. He has more experience batting ninth than anywhere else, hitting .268/.311/.358 across 368 games.

Still, considering the Tigers’ options, one could make the case that Iglesias would be an excellent option at leadoff for the Detroit Tigers in 2018. If the Tigers do in fact decide to go with Iglesias as their leadoff hitter at the beginning of next season, however, it is worthwhile to note that he may not be there for the entire year. Recent comments made by GM Al Avila suggest that there is a strong possibility that Iglesias could be traded by the middle of next season.

Leonys Martin

It was widely known going into the offseason that the Tigers might need a little bit of extra help in center field. JaCoby Jones was given an opportunity to showcase his talents last season, and while he was impressive in the outfield and on the basepaths, he hit only .170/.240/.270 with three home runs through 56 games with the Tigers. One of the things that the Tigers did to address their center field problem this offseason was signing Leonys Martin to a one-year deal.

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Martin is a bit of a lottery ticket for the Tigers. He is coming off of a rough season, slashing just .172/.232/.281 with three home runs through 49 games with the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs.

Two years ago, however, he hit a respectable .247/.306/.378 (88 OPS+) with 15 home runs, 24 stolen bases and 47 RBI for the Mariners. Assuming he can get back on track, he will provide an experienced option at leadoff for Detroit.

Throughout his career, Martin has hit a respectable .255/.308/.345 with seven home runs through 133 games in the leadoff spot. While he is admittedly a player who hasn’t been known to hit for a high average, doesn’t get on base too frequently and probably strikes out too often, he still has speed and can provide a certain amount of pop from the leadoff spot.

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While Martin may not be the ideal leadoff hitter and probably won’t be able to do the job that Kinsler did, he may not be a bad option for a rebuilding club like the Detroit Tigers. It may be a stretch to expect him to get back to being the player he was in 2014 when he hit .298 through 40 games out of the leadoff spot for the Texas Rangers, but he may just be able to provide a pleasant surprise for Detroit.