Detroit Tigers: Lefty duo of Matthew Boyd and Francisco Liriano has been impressive

The Detroit Tigers are off to a pretty decent start so far in 2018. Matthew Boyd and Francisco Liriano have been part of the reason why.

Going into the 2018 season, little was expected of the Detroit Tigers. However, they are off to a pretty good start and currently find themselves in third place in the AL Central with a record of 9-11. Moreover, seven of their losses have been by either one or two runs.

So far this season, the Detroit Tigers starting rotation has been pretty good. Detroit’s starting rotation currently ranks fourth in the American League with a 3.80 ERA. Left-handers Matthew Boyd and Francisco Liriano have given the team two solid arms behind ace Michael Fulmer.

Both Matthew Boyd and Francisco Liriano entered the season essentially as wild cards. Matthew Boyd had posted a bloated 5.47 ERA through his first three big league seasons, but the lights seemed to really come on for him last September. Through six starts in the final month of the season, Boyd posted a 2.95 ERA. He also very nearly threw a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox.

Matthew Boyd has now picked up where he left off last season. Through three starts, Matthew Boyd has posted a 1.40 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP. He has had really good control this year as well, which is evidenced by his 1.86 BB/9.

Liriano rejuvenated?

On the other hand, Francisco Liriano is a veteran who was coming off a couple of down seasons. Between 2016-17, he posted a 5.05 ERA across 69 games (47 starts) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros.

While Liriano had great seasons in the past with the Minnesota Twins and Pirates, it looked like his career was trending downward. However, Francisco Liriano had a great spring training for the Detroit Tigers and earned a spot in the starting rotation. The 34-year-old Francisco Liriano has carried that success into the regular season as well.

Through his first four starts, Francisco Liriano is 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. On Sunday, he had a no-hitter going against the Kansas City Royals until the sixth inning. While Francisco Liriano lost the no-hit bid and the Detroit Tigers ultimately lost the game after the bullpen faltered, it marked yet another solid start for the veteran left-hander.

Still very early

Of course, it is still very early in the 2018 season. Apparently, Boyd shouldn’t be expected to sustain a 1.40 ERA for the rest of the season either. That being said, the way that both Matthew Boyd and Francisco Liriano have pitched so far in April has been a major positive for the Tigers.

Next: MLB Relief Roundup: Walker Buehler’s rotation debut

This Detroit Tigers club also still has its share of issues. The bullpen may be one of the weaknesses that come to mind, other than the impressive emergence of Joe Jimenez. That being said, with some thump in the batting order and a decent starting rotation, the Detroit Tigers, may end up being better than most expected.