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Detroit Tigers Position Breakdown: Starting Pitcher

By Jonathan LeBlanc

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Mar 27, 2015; Dunedin, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws a pitch in the first inning of the spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

(This is the seventh installment of my series breaking down the Detroit Tigers position by position for the 2015 season.  For my previous installments of this series, click on the respective position: Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Shortstop, Third Base, Outfield)

One of the strong suites for the Tigers in recent years is the starting rotation.  Whether it was Justin Verlander winning the AL Cy Young and AL MVP in 2012, or Max Scherzer winning the AL Cy Young in 2013, the Tigers rotation has been one of the MLB’s best.

With Scherzer leaving to the Nationals via free agency, Rick Porcello going to Boston for Yoenis Cespedes and Verlander starting the season on the disabled list, the Tigers rotation isn’t looking as powerful as years past.

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The Tigers front office did try ease the pain of losing Scherzer, by trading for Cincinnati Reds All-Star Alfredo Simon in exchange for Eugenio Suarez and prospect Jonathon Crawford.  They also acquired Shane Greene from the New York Yankees in a three team trade, which also sent Robbie Ray to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Although Simon and Greene should make the loss of Scherzer not as excruciating, it will be difficult for them to heal the wound by Scherzer’s departure.

Simon, who pitched great baseball in the first half of the season (2.70 ERA, 1.046 WHIP with a 12-3 record), but then fell off after the All-Star break, only hosting a 3-7 record, with a 4.52 ERA and 1.444 WHIP.  His opponent batting average also jumped from the first half to the second half of the season, going from .219 to .282.

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    • Greene also had a good first year in the big leagues, hosting a 3.78 ERA, 1.398 WHIP and a 5-4 record in 14 starts.  He also had a solid Spring Training, pitching a 3.95 ERA, 1.17 WHIP with opposing lineups batting .245.

    Greene has shown early in his career that he can be a major contributor at the back-end of the rotation, keeping his ERA under 4.00, which was better than Verlander’s 4.54 ERA last year.

    Though Verlander most likely had a down year this past season and Greene doesn’t have the same talent as Verlander, it shows that Greene has potential to be a really good middle of the rotation pitcher, who could even peak to a possible two starter.

    But the real concern of the Tigers rotation this year is the health and performance from Verlander.

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    • Verlander is the key piece in this rotation, and starting the season on the DL doesn’t help, even if he’s still scheduled start on April 12 in the series finale against the Cleveland Indians.  He took several steps back year, including trying to adjust his game from being a flamethrower, to being a offspeed type pitcher with is increasing age.

    We know the Tigers are going to get great pitching from David Price and Anibal Sanchez (as long as he stays healthy).  The effectiveness of this rotation hinges on whether Verlander can adjust his game to return to the pitcher he once was.

    With this, the Tigers should still have a good rotation this season, but how good they are depends on how Verlander responds from last year and if the Simon is the pitcher from the first or second half of the last season. and if Greene can continue his success from last year, in order to lead the Tigers back to the playoffs.

    What do you think about the Tigers rotation for this season?  Is the performance of Verlander the key factor if they succeeded or not?  Is the combo of Simon and Greene good enough (but doesn’t completely fill) the loss of Scherzer?  Can this rotation lead the Tigers to the playoffs this year?  Share your opinion in the comment section below.

    Next: The Bullpen

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