Detroit Tigers: The bullpen nobody has been talking about

The Detroit Tigers have one of the best bullpens in the majors in 2022 and nobody is talking about it.

To begin the 2022 regular season, the Detroit Tigers were extremely excited about what’s to come for the club. Not only did Javier Báez and Austin Meadows join the offensive force via free agency and trade, respectively, but prized prospect Spencer Torkelson had made the Opening Day roster.

Through 21 games, Torkelson has struggled mightily, Meadows has yet to put his power on display, and Báez is the only player really doing much on offense. The struggles on offense have resulted in Detroit falling 6.5 games back in the AL Central, good for a 7-14 record.

The biggest bright spot of the season for the Tigers has been the team’s (surprisingly) strong pitching staff, primarily the bullpen. The Tigers pen, made up of mostly names that have been cast off of other team’s rosters, has the best ERA in MLB, the second lowest batting average-against, third lowest WHIP, and has allowed the fifth-lowest amount of walks in the American League.

Let’s break down the Detroit Tigers bullpen and give credit where it’s due for some of these pitchers.

Note, all stats are up to date as of 05/04/2022.

RHP Drew Hutchison

31-year-old Drew Hutchison, the former hyped-up prospect of the Toronto Blue Jays, has settled in nicely with the Tigers, his fifth big league organization. He made nine appearances for Detroit down the stretch last season, finishing the year with a 2.11 ERA and just one home run-allowed in 21+ innings.

In 2022, the former starting pitcher has functioned primarily as a long-relief option for Detroit. In his first seven appearances and 11+ innings on the year, Hutchison has a sparkling 1.54 ERA with a just-as-respectable 3.16 FIP. He has yet to allow a home run and has 10 strikeouts alongside seven walks.

RHP Will Vest

Will Vest, 26, is in his second tenure with the Tigers organization after being drafted by the club and playing in their minor league system from 2017-2020 before being selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 2020 Rule 5 draft. Vest made his big league debut for Seattle, but was ultimately returned to Detroit.

After not appearing in a Major League contest for the Tigers last year, Vest has carved out a role for himself in the 2022 bullpen for the club. In 8+ innings, Vest has struck out 10 batters and walked just two, to the tune of a 2.08 ERA and 2.96 FIP. The low walk-rate is especially encouraging as the free-pass has been something of an issue for Vest in his minor league career.

RHP Joe Jiménez

Surprise 2018 All-Star Game selection Joe Jiménez has yet to have any lengthy stretches of MLB success since his debut in 2017. Jiménez, 27, has functioned as the Tigers’ closer for brief moments in his career, but has not been able to stick in his ninth-inning role.

This year, Jiménez has appeared in nine contests for the club, registering a 2.16 ERA with an even more impressive 1.88 FIP. He has 11 strikeouts and just four walks in 8+ innings and, after his poor performance last year, he could use some continued success for the Tigers if he expects to stick with the club through this season.

RHP Jacob Barnes

Jacob Barnes, one of the previously mentioned castoffs from other club’s rosters, is in his seventh Major League season with his sixth different organization. Barnes had shown brief glimpses of promise during his three-year tenure with the Milwaukee Brewers from 2016-2019 but has been a flop throughout most of his big league career.

In Detroit, however, the 32-year old Barnes has looked sharp out of the gate this year. In eight games and as many innings, the righty has allowed just a single earned run and no home runs. He is a three-pitch pitcher, throwing a mid-90s fourseam fastball and two high-80s offerings in a changeup and cutter. It remains to be seen whether Barnes can continue to impress, but he is certainly off to a good start.

RHP Wily Peralta

Another former Milwaukee Brewer and a former teammate of Barnes, Wily Peralta has also seemed to find his niche with in the Detroit Tigers bullpen. His career has been full of highs and lows. However, after signing a minor league contract with Detroit in 2021, he has performed very well.

After a highly successful 18-start performance last year, Peralta will spent 2022 in the bullpen for Detroit. In five games and 6+ innings, Peralta has eight strikeouts and three walks with a 0.00 ERA. Home runs have been a serious issue for Peralta over the years but he, like Barnes, is off to a good start in 2022.

RHP Alex Lange

Alex Lange, 26, joined the Tigers organization via trade from the Chicago Cubs back in 2019. He was a starting pitcher in the Cubs organization, but has functioned exclusively as a relief pitcher since joining Detroit. He made his big league debut last year and looked decent, posting a 4.04 ERA with 39 strikeouts and 16 walks in 35+ innings.

To begin 2022, Lange has nine appearances of 2.35 ERA-ball under his belt. He has an impressive mid-to-high-90s fourseam fastball in his repertoire that he pairs nicely with a mid-to-high-80s curveball and changeup. After a respectable minor league career, Lange seems to have found his groove at the major league level.

LHP Andrew Chafin

Andrew Chafin, 31, was another one of the more high profile free agent signings for the Tigers this offseason. The left-handed veteran has gotten better and better every year he has been in the big leagues, already having put together a nice nine-year career.

Chafin is a high-strikeout, low-walk pitcher who rarely allows home runs and is one of the increasingly rare lefties who regularly dominates both lefty and righty batters. He began the season on the injured list for Detroit but has three appearances and three innings under his belt since being activated. He is expected to be one of the better relievers for the Tigers on the season.

RHP Michael Fulmer

After coming out of nowhere and establishing himself as a high-leverage relief pitcher last season, Michael Fulmer seems to have found a home in the pen after a highly successful run as a starter for Detroit. Injuries have been a huge issue for Fulmer, but he came back last year and was finally healthy, posting a 2.97 ERA in 69+ innings, earning 14 saves along the way.

While he is not at the top of the closer depth chart for the Tigers to begin this season, Fulmer has already made nine appearances for the club, striking out eight and walking just two batters while being the proud owner of a 0.00 ERA. The former AL Rookie of the Year had some velocity concerns in Spring Training this year, but has sat regularly in the 93-96 mph range on his four-seamer to begin the regular season.

LHP Gregory Soto

Gregory Soto, a 2021 All-Star Game selection for the Tigers, is atop the depth chart at closer for the team. Soto, 27, comes with his fair share of control issues (11 wild pitches in 63 innings for the club last year) and has a knack for keeping Tigers fans on their toes when he comes in to close games.

To begin 2022, Soto has seven games of 1.29 ERA-ball under his belt, earning three saves and striking out five batters while walking four in seven innings. It remains to be seen whether his early season success can continue, but he has shown glimpses of greatness in the past, so this start is certainly encouraging.

While the Detroit Tigers are off to a rough start as a whole, it has been primarily their offense that has been struggling. The team’s bullpen has been, in nearly every category, one of MLB’s very best. Made up almost completely of veterans who have struggled to stick in one place for multiple years at a time, this band of misfits has looked exceptional to begin the 2022 regular season.