Detroit Tigers: Jeimer Candelario turns heads with 2020 performance

The Detroit Tigers saw infielder Jeimer Candelario turn some heads in 2020 with a truly impressive performance.

Perhaps one of the most shocking performances from the Detroit Tigers 2020 season was infielder Jeimer Candelario who got some attention with the improvements he made. Coming into the 2020 season, Candelario needed to show significant improvement in his game.

While the delay due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and the implementation of the 60-game season may have been unexpected, Candelario was able to make the best of it. He ended up finding his groove in 2020 and put on quite the show for Tigers fans this season.

Candelario made a transition over to first base, where he spent the majority of the 2020 season. After an injury to first baseman C.J. Cron, he was able to fill in, which worked out quite well for the organization.

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Even though Candelario came up as a third baseman, he has been shifted over first base, getting some reps in during the 2019 season.

As 2020 rolled around and the opportunity presented itself for Candelario, he was able to show he belonged at third base.

Oddly enough, coming into the 2020 season, Candelario was supposed to battle Dawel Lugo for the third-base starting job.

Lugo would be sent down and go unclaimed after a trip on the waiver wire, and Candelario was moved over to first base.  Either way, he found success, which was incredible.

In 2020 Candelario played in 52 games, where he hit .297/.369/.503 with seven home runs and 29 RBI for the Tigers.

Even further, a glance at metrics like Exit Velocity (EV) and Hard Hit % shows that Candelario was hitting the ball exceptionally well for the Tigers in 2020.

It was great to see Candelario get comfortable in the box and find his stride; he showed some serious improvements during the 2020 season. He was able to drive the ball wall, especially fastballs and changeups, struggling a bit with the breaking ball.

From the right side of the plate, Candelario was quite dominant, hitting .400/.455/.650 while hitting .270/.344/.468 with five home runs and 21 RBI from the left side of the plate. Candelario looked incredibly good and had a real breakout performance in 2020 for the Tigers.

After a successful 2020 season, the hope would be that Candelario can continue this success into the 2021 season. After Isaac Paredes was called up and given his chance in the big leagues, Candelario will either take his spot away at third, forcing a demotion, or he will be able to settle in at first base.

The Detroit Tigers saw Jeimer Candelario shock people with his 2020 performance; if he continues this, the outlook for him could do a full-180 and make him valuable to this organization.