Detroit Tigers: 5 Players Who Need to Bounce Back in 2016

Victor Martinez

Coming off a 2014 campaign in which he finished just second in the AL MVP race, Victor Martinez was destined to give the Tigers a wicked 3-4-5 punch with Miguel Cabrera, Martinez, and J.D. Martinez.

Instead, Martinez was not able to reproduce his .335/.409/.565 stats he boasted in the best year of his career. He battled knee inflammation in his left knee, and ended up on the disabled list in late May.

In 2014, he hit 32 home runs, the most in his career, but in 2015, his batting average dropped 90 points, and he only hit 11 homers. If Martinez can bounce back from an injury-ridden season, 2016 looks promising for the Tigers and their feared lineup.

“It’s way different than last year, for sure. What is the difference? I can swing now. That’s the difference,” Martinez said after he arrived to camp.

Next: Justin Verlander