Detroit Tigers: 3 predictions for the 2020 season heading into Opening Day

The Detroit Tigers will kick off the 2020 season, but first, here are three predictions for the 2020 season.

The Detroit Tigers are approaching the beginning of the 2020 Major League Baseball season, which will kick off on Friday, July 24th, when the team opens up against the Cincinnati Reds. It may not be the most exciting season as they will most likely be far under .500 again.

The one thing that is an improvement is that the Tigers added some free agents that will boost their opportunity to stay in games. Though another top-three draft pick will help send the Tigers ongoing rebuild even farther along, being a tad more competitive would be excellent for fans.

Frankly, fans should be happy for baseball to be back and to return even if it means the Tigers will lose games. There could be chances to see younger players and prospects up with the big league club, which again, is beneficial for the rebuild as it continues to roar on.

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Prediction #1: The Detroit Tigers will see C.J. Cron explode during the 2020 season.

One of the Detroit Tigers offseason additions, C.J. Cron, will show the organization why it was a good contract at $6.1 million (original value before the COVID-19 stoppage). Cron has had an incredible return to play at Tigers Summer Camp at Comerica Park.

During some of the intrasquad games, Cron put one heck of a display of power on that made him look worth every penny the Tigers spent to bring him in and add some power to the organization’s lineup.

Last season, Cron would put up 25 home runs for the Minnesota Twins, now with the Tigers, he will look to show some power in a shortened 60-game sprint. Given the shortened season, it will be harder for him to put up the same numbers.

Expect Cron to put on one heck of a hitting display in the box, in terms of power; he will hit 12 to 15 home runs for the Tigers. Cron will add some much-needed power to the organization after quite the power outage last season.

Prediction #2: The Detroit Tigers will see a resurgence from Miguel Cabrera at the plate, hopefully staying healthy through the 2020 season.

Summer camp has seen Detroit Tigers’ first baseman/designated, hitter Miguel Cabrera, look to be in much better shape. Cabrera not only seems to be in “the best shape of his life” (jokingly put) and appears to be getting back to normal in the batters’ box.

Cabrera has been battling injuries that past few seasons, which have kept him from being the “Miggy” that Tigers fans are used to. Now 37 years old, Cabrera has deteriorated a bit, but the future Hall of Fame hitter was not the same in the box at all.

However, in Spring Training and Summer Camp, Cabrera looks to get back to the hitter he was, and 2020 will be his chance to do so. Being in better shape, he should be able to maintain a clean bill of health and help opponents remember the hitter Cabrera really is.

Cabrera may not have the same pop or power that he did in his younger days, but he could boost his average back up and possibly hit at or above .300 if he genuinely can revitalize his career and give it some late life.

Prediction #3: Though the Detroit Tigers will show growth, they will pose a 22-38 record when the 2020 season is said and done.

While the Detroit Tigers will begin the 60-game sprint that is the 2020 season, they will most likely finish below .500 yet again. This is some optimism to say that the Tigers will go 22-38, but it does show that there is some growth.

There will be fans who want to tank the 2020 season, win minimal games and hope for another first overall draft choice in the 2021 MLB Amateur First-Year Player Draft. There will also be fans who support bringing up all the young kids now with hopes that they will all the sudden be excellent and competitive.

Pulling the middle ground, hoping for some sort of optimism, 22-38 seems like an accurate prediction. The Tigers producing a 22-38 record means that they were still well below .500 but still showed a climb in terms of overall winning percentage (not pro-rated) in the shortened season.

This would also ensure the Tigers would most likely end up with another high draft pick in 2021. But it would also show that the lineup was able to produce some more power, the pitching was not as horrifying, and generally speaking, there was an upward trend.

For now, fans will have to wait and see as attention turns to Matthew Boyd and the Detroit Tigers, who will start 2020 off Friday against former Tiger Nicholas Castellanos and the Cincinnati Reds.