FanPost

Detroit Tigers first half grades

The Tigers are now at the official halfway point of the season, and it's time to hand out some grades. Here are mine through the first 81 games.

James McCann

This is a tough one for me to grade. He was 2/15 in his first four games before suffering an injury which sidelined him for nearly a month. He went 0/8 in his first three games upon returning, which tanked his average below .100 and he continued to struggle throughout May, probably regaining his confidence and strength after the injury. There was noticeable improvement in June, hitting .266/.296/.516 with 4 HR and 12 RBI. His arm has been great as always, with a caught stealing percentage north of 50%, which currently leads the AL. The improvement has boosted his grade, but it’s still tough to give him great marks. Here’s hoping he continues his steady hitting in June for the rest of the year. Grade: B-

Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Brought to Detroit to be the new Alex Avila (with better hitting), Saltalamacchia has been a mixed bag. He won the hearts of Tigers fans by hitting 5 bombs in his first 8 games, including a game winning grand salami in Pittsburgh. Salty then hit a slump in May, before rebounding in June with a strong .426 OBP. The defense has not nearly been as good, catching just 22.6% of runners attempting to steal. As a whole, he’s a solid bat to have on the bench, providing some power for a cheap price. Not great, but not bad either. Grade: C+

Miguel Cabrera

It hasn’t been a "typical" Miguel Cabrera season in some ways. In others, he’s still a machine. While his average is lower than the typical Cabrera average (especially against lefties), it is still at a very respectable .300, backed up by a .375 OBP. In addition, he has 18 HR and 51 RBI, which if you double the numbers, is a pretty darn great season, easily the best first baseman in the American League. It might not be 2012 or 2013 Cabrera, but more than 20 teams in the MLB would kill to have him on their team. Grade: A-

Ian Kinsler

Ian Kinsler might be 34 years old, but he is having one of the best years of his career so far in 2016. Kinsler currently is third in the American League in runs scored, with 14 home runs, well on pace to have his best power season both as a Tiger and since 2012 overall. He does everything you want a leadoff guy to do. Get on base, score runs, drive in runs, run with speed, and provide solid power. Oh yeah, he’s also a brilliant defender. Kinsler leads MLB 2B in DRS with 19. No buts about it, this is a career year for Kinsler. Grade: A

Jose Iglesias

After a surprising 2015 season, the first half of Iglesias’ 2016 campaign hasn’t gone as smoothly. The shortstop for the Tigers had a massive May slump, where he hit just .160, getting on at a dismal .181. However, he rebounded in June with a .333 average and a .410 OBP, to bring his current average up to .257. He has a career high 3 long balls (two of which came off of Max Scherzer and Chris Sale) and he has become more defensively savvy. Instead of going for the flashy web gem, he’s making the safer play and has a positive 2 DRS (still lower than what he really does in the field) to show for it. As a whole, the Tigers need Iglesias to continue hitting in the next three months if they want to compete for the playoffs. So far, it’s been a rocky road: not bad, not All-Star caliber either. Grade: B-

Nick Castellanos

Many people, including myself, proclaimed Nick to be the Tigers potential breakout candidate. And so far, he’s delivered on that hype. The 24 year-old third baseman is on pace to obliterate his career HR mark, while also having by far his best hitting campaign from an average, on-base, and slugging standpoint. For the first time in his career, he has a positive WAR from Fangraphs and he has asserted himself as a dangerous hitter in the middle of the Tigers order. With Justin Upton struggling for much of the first half, you have to wonder where the Tigers would be without Nick. Grade: A-

Justin Upton

When Mike Ilitch opened the checkbook for Justin Upton, this is not he was expecting from the talented outfielder. Instead of getting a big bopper with good OBP numbers and solid defense, he’s gotten a banjo hitting outfielder with trouble getting on base and meh defense. With just 8 HR’s, he’s not on pace to come close to the home run totals he’s had the last three years (27, 29, 26). His OBP sits at an uninspiring .284 and his average at a dismal .227. While June was a noted improvement, the season numbers are still disappointing, and his defense has resulted in an unfortunate -1 DRS (he was +8 last season). We have to hope he shows drastic improvement in the second half, but right now, he’s been a big bummer. Grade: D

Cameron Maybin

The Tigers’ centerfield options were disastrous for much of the first 37 games of the season. Anthony Gose couldn’t hit, Tyler Collins made obscene gestures towards the Comerica Park crowd, Andrew Romine and Mike Aviles aren’t outfielders, etc.. When Maybin made his season debut after being injured for the first six weeks, the Tigers were 16-21. With him on the active roster, they’ve gone 27-17. Quite simply, Cam has been the jolt and spark the Tigers’ offense and defense needed. He’s currently hitting a sizzling .369, walking 15 times to just 22 strikeouts, while having 9 steals in just 39 games. It’s been a career year so far for the 29 year old, and you could argue he’s been the Tigers’ MVP, given the way the season changed the moment he was inserted into the lineup. Grade: A

J.D. Martinez

After having a monster 2015, J.D.’s 2016 was very steady, until he ran into the fateful wall in Kauffman Stadium’s right field. Chasing a foul ball, he injured his elbow and is out until mid-July. But we have to break down the season he was having up until then. He had 12 HR’s and 39 RBI’s in 65 games, slightly below his pace last season, but still on par with a 30 bomb season. His .286/.358/.520/.878 quadruple slash is nothing to sneeze at, and his defense was the same quality that netted him a Gold Glove nomination a year ago. Grade: A-

Mike Aviles

A signing almost all Tigers fans knew was going to be bad has proved to be just that. Aviles has hit and got on at percentages far lower than his career averages and has provided substantially less power than he has in past seasons. Additionally, he has played a number of positions for the Tigers in both the outfield and the infield, and hasn’t done either particularly well. Not much to like so far with Aviles’ season. Grade: D+

Andrew Romine

While Aviles has found his way into the lineup rather frequently in the last month, Romine is mostly MIA. He still comes in as the defensive replacement for Castellanos in big moments and still pinch runs for slower base runners late in games, but he has started just 13 times for the Tigers in the first half. And let’s just say he hasn’t made a whole lot happen offensively when he does find his way into the lineup, hitting just .185/.279/.222 on the season. Nothing to get all that excited about. He’s been slightly worse than expected so far this year. Grade: C-

Victor Martinez

One of the Tigers’ big X-Factors entering the season was V-Mart. Coming off of a disastrous 2015 where he struggled with knee injuries, many wondered if the 37 year-old Martinez would ever recover. I assumed the average would return, but not the 32 HR power he had in 2014. Welp, both have returned. He’s seeing the ball very well, hitting well in the .300s and is back on pace for 30 HR’s and 100 RBI’s. He has made the Detroit lineup frightening again and his presence has been a big upgrade over last season. Grade: A

Michael Fulmer

Where the heck would the Tigers be without Michael Fulmer? The answer is probably "not in contention". Fulmer made his MLB debut on April 29 after the injury to Shane Greene, but it wasn’t until May 21 that he became incredible. In his last 8 starts, he has an ERA of 0.53 with 48 strikeouts in 51.1 innings, while going 7-1 in those games. In the middle of that stretch, he came very close to the MLB rookie record for most consecutive scoreless innings. At the halfway point, his numbers are 8-2 with a 2.17 ERA. He’s suddenly become the Tigers’ best pitcher and a contender for AL Rookie of the Year. A truly incredible run for Fulmer and we only hope it continues into the second half. Grade: A+

Justin Verlander

After posting an incredible second half of the 2015 campaign, expectations were high for JV entering 2016. Through his first six starts, his play had come nowhere near those expectations, as his ERA sat at 6.49. In the eleven starts since then, he’s posted a 3.04 ERA with 82 K in 77 IP, leaving his first half ERA at 4.11. It’s been a bumpy first 81 games, a tale of two quarters really, but as a whole, it’s been solid. Worse than I expected, but not bad by any means. He’s on pace to win 16 games and throw 200 innings, which is about what the Tigers hoped for. Right now, his grade is modest, but if he can continue his recent dominance into the second half, the Tigers could be in for a treat. Grade: B

Jordan Zimmermann

It’s been a bumpy first half for J-Zim. In April, Zimmermann asserted dominance in the Tigers’ rotation and was named AL Pitcher of the Month. After being roughed up by Minnesota in mid-May, he tweaked his groin in a start against Tampa. He then missed a start before returning against Chicago, in a solid start. Since then, it’s been a mixed bag of some great, some mediocre, and some bad starts. Opponents are hitting his fastball much better (probably due to worse command) and the breaking stuff doesn’t have the life it did earlier in the year. That said, I think that Zimm will regain his confidence, as he is a veteran guy. As a whole, the Tigers are 10-5 in games that Jordan his pitched in the first half, and he has given them a chance to win in all but two of those games. Grade: A-

Mike Pelfrey

Mike Pelfrey is the baseball version of a ticking time bomb. He’s going to explode at some point, you just hope you can yank him before it happens. He’s become a player fans love to hate, but let’s take a look at some splits. Mike Pelfrey’s first 6 appearances: 0-4, 6.23 ERA, 1.95 WHIP. Mike Pelfrey’s last 10 appearances: 2-3, 4.37 ERA, 1.64 WHIP. Sure, neither of those are really good, and both of those WHIP’s are atrocious, but he has been substantially better recently, and he’s gone at least five innings in every start in that span. Bottom line is that your 5 starter can be bad and you can still win a division title, assuming your other four starters are good. That hasn’t quite been the case for these Tigers, but the hate shouldn’t all fall on Pelfrey. He’s been bad, but not that bad. The Tigers would like to see improvement from him, but right now he gets a tough grade. Grade: C-

Daniel Norris

Norris’ grade will be an incomplete because he’s only made two starts in the first half of the season for the Tigers. However, I want to write a blurb about him. As Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press stated after Norris’ last start, the Tigers are one good starting pitcher away from competing for the playoffs. I believe that that starting pitcher’s name is Daniel Norris. In his pair of starts, he’s shown the immense potential that made him a Tiger in exchange for David Price last July. He has great stuff, ace potential. Now we aren’t expecting that right now, but if he could replicate the 3.68 ERA he had after the deadline last season, it would be a huge boost for the Tigers in the second half. Norris represents the future, but is also a key cog of this squad. The future is now for part of Detroit’s team. Grade: Incomplete

Anibal Sanchez

Entering the season, Sanchez was one of the other X-Factors for the Tigers (along with Victor Martinez). He too, had struggled with injuries in a dismal 2015. Bounce back was a must. Well, that didn’t happen. Sanchez has made 12 starts with the Tigers, going 3-7 in those starts, with a 6.71 ERA and a WHIP of 1.65. Ouch. Quite simply, by the end of his tour as a starter, Sanchez’s start was basically an automatic loss. And that can’t be the case. His breaking pitches are completely gone and his fastball doesn’t have much action anymore. However, given his lack of stamina, his bullpen stint has been better. In his 8 bullpen appearances, he’s amassed an ERA of 2.84. Yes, that has mostly been mop-up duty, and don’t expect to see Sanchez in late inning situations, but the bullpen seems the way to go if you want Anibal to help the team in the second half. This grade will be for his time as a starter, while his second half grade will be for the bullpen. Grade: D-

Shane Greene

After Daniel Norris’ Spring Training injury, Greene was back in the starting rotation, attempting to rebound after that bizarre elbow injury last season. His first start showed that potential in Pittsburgh. But by the third start, it was back on the injured list for Greene, and he has been yet to regain his starting spot. However, he has transitioned into a bullpen role rather well, with his electric fastball/slider combo proving effective in the back end. Since going to the pen, he has 16 K in 15 IP, with an ERA of 3.60. Not great, but he can continue to improve, and transition into a dominant piece of the bullpen. So far he’s been solid, and I’m optimistic about what he can do in the second half. Grade: B-

Francisco Rodriguez

In his first appearance for the Tigers on Opening Day, K-Rod was not his normal self and blew the save (though the Tigers still won the game). Tigers fans thought the Valverde curse was back! But no, since then, Rodriguez has returned to dominance, going 23/24 in saves since Opening Day with a 2.20 ERA and 29 K in 28.2 IP. Right now, Rodriguez is tied for the AL lead in saves and is Top 5 in the MLB in that same category. He’s been a stalwart in the back-end of the ‘pen, and the Tigers have a dependable closer for the first time since Valverde’s miraculous 2011 season. Grade: A

Justin Wilson

Justin Wilson has been the Tigers 2nd most consistent reliever, behind K-Rod. Yes, J-Wil went through a bump in May where he had a 13.50 ERA in 8 appearances, but bookending that is a 12 game stretch of 0.00 ERA and a 15 game stretch of 1.29 ERA. Put together, the power lefty has a first-half ERA of 3.19 in 31 IP with 39 K. He’s been reliable and consistent, an excellent pickup for Detroit in the offseason. Grade: A-

Alex Wilson

Nicknamed the "Miracle Worker" by me for his terrific 2015 campaign, this first half has had far more snags than a year ago. But like Justin Wilson, Alex has had a season that started great in April, got bumpy in May, but has smoothed out to consistent greatness in June. His ERA currently sits at 3.93, which has been decent, but not great. I’d like to see greater consistency from him in the second half, but as for now, it was an average, albeit a little disappointing, first 81 games. Grade: B-

Mark Lowe

Oh boy. In his first 10 games, Lowe had an ERA of 2.79 and was the Tigers’ 8th inning man. Since then, it’s been a total disaster. And by disaster, I mean an ERA of 15.26 in his last 19 games. The Tigers have relegated Lowe to the "can’t pitch in any situation except for when we are winning or losing by 10+ runs" role. Because he’s pretty much guaranteed to give up a run. The slider is just a meatball, and his fastball has had very little zip (though it did look better in game 80 against Tampa). He has an expensive two year deal (of which he’s in year #1), which is why the Tigers are reluctant to cutting him, but boy, it’s hard to justify keeping a guy who’s completely unusable on the roster. Nothing but a dumpster fire for this signing, the only complete failure of Avila’s offseason. Grade: F

Kyle Ryan

Originally making the team as a lefty long reliever hybrid, Ryan has quietly become an effective and important piece of the Tigers’ bullpen. He’s appeared in 27 games, sometimes as a long man and sometimes as a specialist, amassing an ERA of 2.60. He doesn’t wow you with any particular pitches, doesn’t rack up many strikeouts, but he quite simply gets hitters out. He’s been perhaps the most pleasantly surprising player on the team this season. Ryan has accomplished everything Ausmus has thrown at him, so he gets high marks for an underrated campaign. Grade: A

Bruce Rondon

Rondon will also get an incomplete, as he’s only spent a few weeks with the big club, but like Norris, I want to write a few words about him. The long-vaunted and hyped flamethrower has never delivered on the praise, culminating in his dismissal from the team last fall. However, Rondon has returned lighter, more determined, and better. So far, so good. I’m very interested to see what he can do in the second half, as he could become a key piece of the Tigers’ pen in the future. Grade: Incomplete

If you have any comments or opinions, feel free to comment!


This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the <em>Bless You Boys</em> writing staff.