My apologies for the long wait. After some personal events I had to attend last week, we are back with my MLB power rankings for the upcoming season.
The Detroit Tigers land at the number 27 spot on my preseason power rankings. This team is not stellar right now but their farm system is something to be excited about if you are a Tigers fan.
Notable additions: Jose Urena, Wilson Ramos, Nomar Mazara
Notable Losses: CJ Cron, Austin Romine
Current Top 5 Prospects: Spencer Torkelson, Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Riley Greene, Tarik Skubal
The current lineup the Tigers have isn’t fantastic by any means. Cabrera is getting old, Candelario has only one full MLB season hitting above .230 and the rest of the lineup doesn’t strike fear into the hearts of many opponents.
Pitching also doesn’t impress right now. Last season the Tigers had the worst starting rotation in the AL. Their pitching staff only had one starter under a 5.00 ERA and that was Spencer Turnbull with a 3.97 ERA. He was also the only starter with an ERA+ over 100.
The future, however, is one of the most promising young cores in the MLB. Any of their top 10 prospects could be a top 5 prospect on any other team.
Some of their prospects made their MLB debuts during the shortened season including Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal. Riley Greene and Matt Manning are hopeful to make their debuts within the next two years.
The future is not the present, so how does this Tiger’s team look right now?
Sock’s 2 X-Factors
1. Jeimer Candelario
Candelario was a player who benefited from the shortened season hitting a respectable .297 and had the second-best OPS (.872) on the team. The 27-year-old has the ability to play both and first base and third base. He will most likely slide in at third base since it is easier to find a first baseman than it is to find a third baseman. Regardless, in addition to having a breakout season, he also brings solid defense. I expect Candelario to continue his breakout season and prove to be a reliable player for Detroit this upcoming season. Projected 2021 Stats .280 20HR 78RBIs.
2. Willi Castro
Castro’s rookie season was a good one to build off of for a future career. In 36 games, Castro lead the team with a .349 batting average and .932 OPS. The one unfortunate knock on him is that his defense is not fantastic. Castro may not be an everyday shortstop but, given how poor the Tigers roster is, he gets another opportunity to showcase his stuff and improve his defense in the 2021 season. He isn’t a power threat but I would expect him to get on base often this season. I may be rating him higher than other MLB writers and analysts but, I really like his potential. Projected 2021 Stats .283 14HR 58RBIs
Prospects to look forward to
1. Spencer Torkelson
The number 1 pick in the 2020 MLB draft and by far one of the most exciting prospects in baseball today. Torkelson tore it up in college hitting .337 with 54 home runs and 130 RBIs. Did I mention his ridiculous 1.192 OPS? His defense could use some work but at worst he could just DH for the Tigers. With his skill set, we could see him as early as 2022.
2. Riley Greene
Hitting .422 as a senior in high school will most likely get you noticed by a major league team. The Tigers took notice and selected the 6 foot 3 left-handed hitter with the 5th overall pick in 2019. While he has yet to play a full minor league season, he has tools to build upon to be a successful outfielder in the MLB. He is only 20 years old and has plenty of time to develop. I expect him to be ready by 2022 or 2023 depending on injuries.
My prediction for the Tigers this upcoming season is that they will finish last in the division with a 60-102 record. The Tigers are so close to gluing all of their prospects acquired over the last 5 years and making a true run at another World Series. Given the list of prospects that they have in addition to having the 3rd pick in the 2021 MLB draft, we could see the Tigers as a real threat by the year 2024.
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