Detroit Tigers 2015 Preview Edition #6

Camden Palmisano — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 00:42:34 +0000

It seems like everyone has had the Detroit Tigers as a favorite to win the the world series the past few seasons. Why would that change this year? It really hasn’t. Detroit is ranked 9th headed into this season with 16/1 odds. There are a few major changes in Detroit this season. Let’s take a look at some of the notable moves.

Notable Additions: Alfredo Simon SP, Anthony Gose CF, Yoenis Cespedes OF

Notable Losses: Rick Porcello SP, Robbie Ray SP, Torii Hunter OF, Max Scherzer

David Price delivers a pitch. (Photo Credit: Jim Mone AP file)

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the loss of Max Scherzer is huge. Scherzer has been the ace of Detroit’s staff for the past two seasons. He was the AL Cy Young award winner in 2013 when he finished with a 2.90 ERA through 214.1 innings of work. Scherzer was was excellent in 2014 finishing with a 3.15 ERA over 220.1 innings. The Tigers might struggle without Scherzer’s consistency and durability. Anytime you lose a pitcher who gives you 200+ innings a year hurts dramatically. Detroit is fortunate to still have David Price, Justin Verlander and Anibal Sanchez to lead the rotation. The starting rotation should still be solid but the bullpen is a concern.

Detroit’s bullpen ranked in the bottom five among bullpens in the MLB last season. The relievers collectively posted a 4.29 ERA and allowed opposing batters to hit for a .270 batting average last season. They have done little to address the bullpen problem and it will show. It doesn’t matter if the starting rotation is solid if the bullpen can’t close games.

The Tigers will be expecting major contributions from Yoenis Cespedes. He has an explosive bat and will be looking to improve his contact. Cespedes has hit a combined 71 home runs throughout his first three seasons in the bigs. Even though power is one of his strengths, his arm makes him superhero like. The left fielder has an absolute cannon and is not afraid to let it fly.

Yoenis Cespedes crushes a ball in the Home Run Derby.(Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson, USA TODAY Sports)

The offense should be solid in 2015. It will be lead by Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Yoenis Cespedes. Martinez is coming off a spectacular season in which he finished with a .335 batting average, a .409 OBP, a .974 OPS and hit 32 home runs. Miguel Cabrera should continue to be one of the elite hitters in the game. Cabrera has a .320 career batting average and a .564 slugging percentage. Ian Kinsler is one of the key pieces of the offense. He brings consistency and durability to the lineup. Kinsler played in 161 games last season. Newly acquired Anthony Gose will be a player to keep your eye on. He struggles to swing the bat but has showed incredible defensive abilities. He will be looking to flash his leather for Detroit fans in 2015.

Breakout Player: Nick Castellanos 3B

Castellanos will be entering his second full season in majors. He slashed a .259 batting average and a .394 slugging percentage in 2014. The youngster has a long way to go but could be a big contributor for years to come. He struck out quite a few times as a rookie. He’ll look to add some power this season and reduce his strike out rate. That’s not always an easy thing to do but he’ll be surrounded by some of the best players in the game to help him out. If healthy I expect:

.264 BA, 74 RBI’s, 16 HR, .421 SLG

Game Changer: Anyone in the bullpen

The bullpen was flat out awful in 2014. They need someone to step up and close out games. It’s hard to say who that will be at this point. Joe Nathan is already forty years old and finished with a 4.81 ERA last season. Bruce Rondon could step up in a huge way. He’s only twenty-four years old and brings a live arm to the bullpen. Rondon is also a top candidate for breakout player in 2015. The Tigers are praying for someone to step up and pick up the slack in the bullpen.

The Tigers will be contenders in 2015. They need to make their run now due to the fact that their core is getting older and there is a good chance that they will lose David Price to free agency after the 2015 season. They have the offense and the starting rotation but the bullpen is still a question mark. Expect them to be compete for the title in the AL Central.

Make sure to check back in on March 31st for my complete standing predictions along with a few other fun pieces of news. Until then, you will be able to find a new preview of an individual team from March 1st through the 30th here at KRUI.FM.

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AL MVP: There’s No Wrong Answer

Kevin Ciardiello — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:00:14 +0000

MIke Trout or Miguel Cabrera… Who would you take for American League MVP? This is a question sportswriters, fans, and even Major League Baseball players have been debating constantly. These two players are having arguably two of the best single season performances in baseball history. This has led to one of the tightest MVP races in recent memory. All I can say is, either candidate would be more than deserving to win the prestigious award.
On one side of the coin you have a twenty one year old phenom in Mike Trout who is the definition of a five tool player. Lets be honest, is there anything this kid can’t do? He was called up to the Major Leagues last season for 40 games at age 19. Yes that is correct, age 19. There have been only a select few ever to play in the Major Leagues in their teens, and Trout’s opponent for the AL MVP happened to be one of them for the Florida Marlins years ago. Trout could not even go to bars with his teammates on road trips because he was underage. When a reporter asked him what he does for fun on off days, he said he goes to Disney World with his friends.
Now that you have taken that in, I’m going to hit you with the numbers that this kid is putting up. He is hitting .321, has 30 home runs, 80 RBI’s, and his on-base percentage is .395. That’s not even the best part. He is known as the fastest player in the MLB and has 48 stolen bases to show for it. On top of all that, he is arguably the top outfielder in the game. If you watch SportsCenter, you know that Trout is a regular on the Top Ten Plays with his fantastic catches.
Now to the other side of the coin. Miguel Cabrera is chasing one of the most historic titles in sports history: the triple crown. This means that a player finishes the season first in the categories of batting average, home runs, and RBI’s. This hasn’t been done since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, which shows how rare it is. As of Tuesday, Cabrera is first in batting average at .325, tied for first in home runs at 43, and first in RBI’s with 136.
The offensive numbers that Cabrera is putting up are truly astounding, especially considering the fact that his home ballpark, Comerica Field, is one of the hardest to hit home runs in. Cabrera has been incredibly clutch down the stretch of the regular season and has carried the Tigers to the playoffs, past the White Sox, in the AL Central.
Now let the debate begin. Do you take the player who is excelling at every aspect of the game, or the player who is chasing a triple crown that hasn’t been done since 1967. Many people have said, “You have to pick a player who wins the triple crown.” This is true, however baseball experts have said that Trout is putting up the best overall season in MLB history. So you have to pick him right?
In my opinion, Miguel Cabrera should win the MVP for one reason. His team won their division and they are heading to the playoffs. Cabrera has literally carried them offensively and an MVP has to do whatever it takes to make sure that his team wins. The Angels are not making the playoffs. Otherwise, I’d give the award to Trout for an all-around better season. It is rare that a league MVP’s team does not make the playoffs, which is why I’d choose Cabrera.
The awarding of the MVP is going to top off two of the greatest single season performances the MLB has ever seen. Both players are very deserving, and it’s too bad that only one player will win it. It will be very interesting to see who actually wins the award, because the voters literally can’t go wrong.

Who will win the prestigious American League MVP trophy?

: Miguel Cabrera is mobbed by his teammates at home plate after hitting a walk-off home run to beat the Cleveland Indians. (Photo: zimbio.com)

: Mike Trout robs a home run at Camden Yards to make one of the most memorable catches of the baseball season. (Photo: sports.yahoo.com)

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Detroit Tigers 2015 Preview Edition #6

AL MVP: There’s No Wrong Answer