Can Rookies Breathe Life Into Tigers' Season? Verlander, Martinez, Miggy Succumbing To Time
By Will Burchfield
Twitter: Burchie_kid
It's no secret, both around the MLB and here in Detroit, that the Tigers' World Series window is creaking to a close. And for all the aging talent on this roster, it's the rookies who just may keep it open.
Through 76 games of the 2016 season, the Tigers are right where they started. They've won just as many games as they've lost, continually taking one step back for every stride forward. Their inconsistency is the reflection of a veteran-laden roster, one that shows alternating signs of defying time and succumbing to it.
There are nights, for example, when Miguel Cabrera harkens back to his Triple-Crown self, sending line drives into the gaps and fly balls into the bleachers. And then there are nights when his reflexes fade and his bat looks hollow.
There are times when Victor Martinez looks like the best switch-hitter in the game, wreaking havoc from both sides of the plate with that unerring swing. And then there are times when his body betrays him and fatigue rears its ugly head.
There are games when Justin Verlander pitches like an ace, breezing through lineups with his devastating arsenal. And then there are games when the fastball falls flat, the curveball is left hanging and the changeup just isn't there.
There is still far more good than bad from these guys, but the gap continues to narrow. And as this season presses on and their odometers climb, that trend is likely to grow more pronounced. When September arrives, and Cabrera has played more than 100 games and Martinez has logged more than 400 at-bats and Verlander is closing in on 200 innings pitched, it might be that the positive is cleanly offset by the negative.
At that point, the Tigers – assuming they're still in the race – will have to look for an edge somewhere else. Sure, they'll find it in the MVP-worthy Ian Kinsler and the rising Nick Castellanos and maybe even the (suddenly hittable) Jordan Zimmermann. But the Tigers have had those competitive advantages all season long.
Look where it's gotten them.
Needless to say, it will take a boost from somewhere else to propel this team into the playoffs.
They've certainly received one from Michael Fulmer, who owns a record of 7-2 on the year, 5-1 in his past seven starts. Fulmer, it could be said, has been the best pitcher in the Tigers' starting rotation, continually giving the team a chance to win since turning things around back in May. There are concerns as to the rookie's innings count, but assuming the Tigers can keep him on the mound through the stretch run, Fulmer stands to thrive as those around him wane.
Newer to the rotation but no less talented is Daniel Norris. The hard-throwing lefty made his first big-league start of the season last week, showing flashes of his elite ability through five innings of three-run ball. It will take more than that to make an impact moving forward, but the Tigers' rotation, 9th in the AL with a 4.69 ERA, is ripe for a new arm.
Anibal Sanchez seems like a lost cause. Matt Boyd is toiling down in Toledo. Mike Pelfrey is who he is. Norris projects as a serious upgrade based on his potential alone, and the Tigers would benefit immensely from his emergence as the fourth starter.
At the plate, the team sets its hopes on Steven Moya. Called up on June 17 to replace the injured J.D. Martinez, the hulking outfielder has blasted three home runs in just seven games. Through 27 at-bats in that span, he's hitting .370 with an absurd 1.211 OPS. He has cut down his flaws at the plate – namely a high swing-and-miss rate – and looks poised to unleash his power on big-league pitchers.
Any gain produced by Moya, it should be noted, will be largely nullified by the loss of Martinez. But if Moya sticks around once J.D. returns and the Tigers find a way to get them both consistent at-bats, the rookie's bat will be a boon to a streaky offense.
And then there's Joe Jimenez. Though the Tigers' brain trust would rather have you look elsewhere, the fact remains that the fire-balling Jimenez is impossible to ignore. The right-handed reliever has put up sparkling numbers in the Minors this year, and hasn't missed a beat since being promoted to Double-A Erie in late May. For a Tigers' bullpen that ranks 13th in the AL with a 4.42 ERA, Jimenez would be a welcome addition.
The Tigers' hesitancy to call him up is rooted in his lack of secondary pitches. Jimenez relies almost exclusively on his fastball at this point, and the team fears stunting his growth by exposing him to big-league hitters too soon. Fair enough. But he hasn't racked up 46 strikeouts in 27.1 innings this season through one pitch alone. His ability seems transferable to the next level.
With a little more than half the season remaining, the Tigers need to create a different recipe for success. It's not that the team's aging core – defined by Cabrera, Martinez and Verlander – isn't good enough to carry them. It's that they can't carry the weight they used to. There is too much fluctuation in their performance, and too little support beneath them to make up for it. That much is clear through 76 games.
But there are players that can lessen the load. There are players that can provide an edge the Tigers haven't yet enjoyed. If this team is to make the playoffs, it won't be because of guys like Sanchez, Pelfrey and utility-man Mike Aviles. They merely counteract the positives elsewhere.
It will be thanks to Fulmer, Norris, Moya and maybe, just maybe, Jimenez. As the aging Tigers try to revive their fading aspirations, it is the rookies who can breathe life into their season.
