Detroit Tigers: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of 2016
Through 30 games so far in the season, the Detroit Tigers have flashed good, bad, and downright ugly. What will the rest of 2016 have in store for the team?
So far in 2016, the Detroit Tigers have been consistently inconsistent.
After rolling to five straight wins, the Tigers followed with six straight losses. And, for the first time this season, the Tigers are under .500 with a 14-16 record. Here we go again..
The Good
I see you, Jordan Zimmermann. A 5-1 record to go along with a sparkling 1.10 ERA, Zimmermann has certainly lived up to the $110 million contract he was given this past offseason. He’s lasted at least 6 innings in every start and has only allowed 2 ER over 33 innings of work. It seems like every fifth day with Zimm on the mound, the Tigers have a good chance to win.
Who would’ve thought the best hitter in the American League through one month of play would’ve been the Tigers’ own Nick Castellanos? Castellanos is off to a torrid start, hitting .376 with 24 runs driven in. Castellanos is finally living up to his potential when he was first called up to the bigs in September of 2013.
Ahh, a healthy Victor Martinez. Welcome back, my friend. Martinez came into the 2015 season fresh off a left knee surgery. He failed to reproduce his 2014 numbers, and after several trips to the disabled list, finished the year batting .245. This season there’s a new story to be told, as Martinez feels he finally has his strength back in both knees. Martinez is off to an impressive start, slugging .320/.376/.946 with 5 home runs.
"“Obviously, I wish I could feel like I was 25,” he said. “But I feel way better. I am doing stuff that’s just unbelievable compared to last year.”"
A reliable left-hander in the later innings? In our bullpen? Yes! Al Avila reeling in Justin Wilson from the New York Yankees has been one of his best moves so far as general manager. Wilson has already improved the back end of the bullpen, along with newcomers like Mark Lowe and Francisco Rodriguez. Wilson has walked just one batter and two earned runs over 12 IP. No surprise there, however, as Wilson owns a career 14-5 record and a 2.97 ERA.
The Bad
A .218 (17-78) batting average from your everyday center fielder will certainly not cut it. Anthony Gose is struggling. Fortunately for Gose, he’s fast, plays a strong center field, and has nobody to back him up. Cameron Maybin began the season on the DL with a fractured wrist, and as Maybin nears his return, Gose could see his playing time dwindle.
For whatever reason, the Tigers can’t finish what Justin Verlander has started. On April 22 against the Cleveland Indians, Verlander labored through seven innings of two-run baseball on just four hits. The Tigers ended up losing the game 2-1, and Verlander was given his second loss of the year. On May 8 against the Texas Rangers, Verlander again put the Tigers in a situation to win. Seven innings, no earned runs, and just three hits were not enough to win the game, as the bullpen would go on to blow the lead in the eighth inning. His record has fallen to 2-3, with a 5.40 ERA.
The Ugly
Brad Ausmus is not ugly. The direction the team is headed is very, very ugly. Is it the manager’s fault when hitters don’t produce, and pitchers are inconsistent? No, it’s not. But somebody has to take the blame. Unfortunately for Brad, if the Tigers continue with their slow start, he could be out of a job within the next few weeks. What’s Jim Leyland up to nowadays?
Oh, Tyler Collins. You didn’t have to flip off the 21,671 fans that attended the April 25 matchup against the Oakland Athletics at Comerica Park. But you did. Fortunately for you, your timeout in Toledo is over, and you’re back up with the Tigers as they head to take on the Washington Nationals. Collins’ gaffe that immediately went viral has summed up how Tiger fans have felt through 30 games in the 2016 season.
Wait. Mike Illitch gave Justin Upton $132 million over six years, just so he can strikeout multiple times per game? The 3-time NL All-Star is looking to distance himself from his dreadful first month in Detroit. He’s slugging .235/.276/.612 this season, and is on pace to shatter his season strikeout average. Upton currently averages 164 SO’s per 162 game season. He’s already been K’d 45 times now, and the Justin Upton Strikeout Count is well underway.
What was once a strong suit, is now an Achilles heel. The starting pitching in ’16 has been horrendous. A Tiger starter not named Zimmermann does not have an ERA below 5.40. As the Detroit Tigers were on their way to being swept in two straight series by the Indians, they allowed the Tribe to score in the first inning in four of the six games played. Verlander, Anibal Sanchez, Mike Pelfrey, and Michael Fulmer have already given up a total of 20 long balls this season. JV, Sanchez, and Pelfrey are in the top 16 pitchers in the American League for most HR’s already surrendered.
It can’t be this bad, can it? Is this really going to be a rerun of 2015?
Next: Five Candidates to Replace Ausmus
We shouldn’t go in full-fledged panic mode just yet. After all, there are 132 games left to be played, and it’s only May. Tiger fans are clinging on to the fact that the season is just beginning, but the depressing start they’re off to brings uneasiness to Detroit.