Call to the pen
Fansided

Jose Ramirez putting Detroit Tigers to shame by himself

By David Hill

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 11: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Indians and first baseman Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers talk on first during the first inning at Progressive Field on September 11, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 11: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Indians and first baseman Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers talk on first during the first inning at Progressive Field on September 11, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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While pitching and defense can win championships, teams need to hit as well. That is something that the Detroit Tigers have come to realize this season, as they have failed to produce much of anything on offense. The Tigers entered Monday ranked dead last in the American League in runs, hits, homers, stolen bases, walks, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. While they are in the middle of the pack in ERA, they cannot win many games 0-0.

A look at just one column shows how bad the Tigers have been. Miguel Cabrera leads the team with 20 RBI heading into Monday, a woefully low amount that has been surpassed by 150 players thus far. Aaron Judge has more homers (24) than Cabrera has RBI.

Jose Ramirez putting Detroit Tigers to shame on his own

Cabrera’s RBI total looks even more mediocre when compared to Jose Ramirez. The Guardians’ third baseman has 59 RBI on the year to lead the majors, a total which is actually more than Cabrera is currently on pace for through the entire 2022 season.

Yes, RBIs are a flawed statistic. They have gone the way of batting average and pitching wins when it comes to evaluating players. And it is a statistic that is almost entirely dependent upon the rest of the lineup; one can only drive oneself in if no one is on base.

For his part, Cabrera is having a solid season. He has posted a 104 OPS+ while hitting three homers and six doubles in his 196 plate appearances. While that production normally would not be noteworthy, that is the best showing of any of the Tigers’ regulars.

Chances are, this will change as the season progresses. The Tigers’ offense is on pace to be one of the historically awful teams for a full season and there would seem to be enough talent in the lineup for them to improve. Maybe then, Cabrera will finally be on pace for more RBI than Ramirez already has this season.

dark. Next. The Tigers' futile offense

Miguel Cabrera is the Detroit Tigers’ leader in RBI this season. If he continues at his current pace, he will not reach the total Jose Ramirez currently has.

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