most important statistic next year

Walks.  Both ways.  Tigers' hitters need to walk more, and Tigers' pitchers need to walk less.

Two hitters to watch: Ordonez and Cabrera.  If Ordonez reaches 70 walks for the season he'll finish in the top 10 in MVP voting.  If Cabrera reaches 80 walks, he'll finish in top 3.  Those walk levels will throw both players over .400 OBP and 100 runs plateaus.  Guaranteed.

Pitchers to watch? All of them.  More obvious choices - Willis, Rodney, Zumaya - but maybe Verlander and Jackson would be best targets.  Verlander walked 7% of the batters he faced in '06 and '07; and 10% of the batters in '08.  Jackson walked 12% of his batters in '07 and 10% in '08.  If Verlander returns to 7% and Jackson knocks a percent or two off of his walk rate? Verlander 20 wins and Jackson 17.  (that felt insane just typing it).