MLB division previews: AL Central
AL Central preview: 4. Detroit Tigers
By all accounts, last year was an unmitigated disaster for Detroit. After investing more than $100 million in free agency, Detroit went from a 77-85 record in 2021 to 66-95 in 2022. Detroit did virtually nothing to improve a lineup that finished dead last in runs per game at 3.44.
It’ll be up to Javy Baez to bounce back from one of the worst seasons of his career, finishing with a 90 wRC+* last season. In fact, just about everyone in this lineup will have to bounce back. It starts with former number one overall pick Spencer Torkelson, who was clearly not ready for the big leagues. The 23-year-old posted a brutal stat line, batting .200 and hitting just eight home runs. Riley Greene, another highly touted prospect, was arguably the one bright spot in the lineup last season. In 418 at-bats, Greene finished with a 98 wRC+*, while showcasing elite defense in center field. It’s crucial that Greene takes another big step this year, with Detroit desperately in need of a core to build around. Austin Meadows and Jonathan Schoop are two quality and reliable MLB players who were anything but that last season. Meadows was hurt most the season, and Schoop had the worst statistical season of his career. The two while have to turn it around, as they will be relied upon for heavy production in this weak lineup. Newcomers Matt Vierling and Nick Maton were acquired in the Gregory Soto trade; it’s looking as if both will immediately be plugged into this lineup. Vierling provides an average bat with incredible defensive versatility, while Maton looked very promising in his second year with the Phillies. While this lineup is still pretty ugly, at least Tigers fans will be able to enjoy future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera play in navy blue for potentially his last season.
The rotation remains full of question marks. Eduardo Rodriguez was brought in to be the ace of this staff, signing a five-year, $77 million deal last offseason. After just eight starts, Rodriguez left the team for personal reasons. He returned in late August, finishing the season with a 4.02 ERA. Casey Mize pitched just 10 innings before being shut down for Tommy John surgery. It’s unclear when he will return, but there’s no denying that the former number one pick is quite injury-prone. Spencer Turnbull and Tarik Skubal are the highlights of this rotation, both of whom are likely to start the season on the IL. Turnbull is coming off Tommy John in 2020, where he posted a strong 2.88 ERA in nine starts before surgery. Skubal broke out last season, finishing with a 3.52 ERA over 117 innings before being shut down for flexor tendon surgery. At 26, Skubal is far and away the most valuable young pitcher on this staff. Matt Manning is another strong young arm to look out for on this staff. The 25-year-old had a similar 3.43 ERA in 12 starts before being forearm issues. Aside from injuries, both Skubal and Manning have shown flashes of elite potential in their young big league careers. Veterans Matt Boyd and Michael Lorenzen will join the rotation as strong depth pieces, both on one-year deals with the ability to be dealt at the trade deadline. Depth in a starting rotation is always great, but it’s not very meaningful when a team lacks top tier starting pitching. While Detroit has potential elite starters, nothing yet has been consistently proven.
The bullpen, the strength of Detroit last year, has lost its best piece, trading away lefty closer Gregory Soto. With Andrew Chafin, Soto, and Michael Fulmer all gone, it’s hard to know what to expect from this group.
Detroit is an awfully tough spot right now, but honestly can things get much worse than last season?
* wRC+ is an advanced offensive metric that measures offensive production. It is measured on a 100 point scale, with 100 being the league average. Anything above or below 100 is above or below average.