The 2012 baseball season is still quite young, but as always, there has been plenty of excitement to start off the new season. Since the Detroit Tiger's are the home team and have a strong following around here, I've decided to take a serious look at how good this team is and where I can see them going this season.
Now, at 3-0 and coming off the swept series against the Red Sox, a team that has been an upper echelon team for years despite their current struggles, it might be easy to predict the sky for this ball club. While I don't agree that this makes them an automatic lock for the World Series, I think it is safe to say that the team is off to a very potent offensive start and if they can keep that level of run production up, they need only for their defense and pitching to calm down and they are serious contenders. They currently sit at 2nd in the league in runs scored and OBP, and lead the league in batting average and slugging percentage. Their large offseason acquisition, first baseman Prince Fielder, along with Miguel Cabrera, arguably the most underrated hitter in baseball, have already combined for 5 home runs and eleven runs batted in. I'm not going to drool over "on-pace" numbers because they are incredibly premature at this stage, but at least to this point, the offense seems to revolve well around these two.
From a pitching standpoint, I don't think Detroit has much to worry about. Justin Verlander, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, looked great on opening day, which is no surprise, but it is certainly encouraging to see that he is picking up where he left off last season instead of dropping off. No.2 man Doug Fister has been spectacular for the Tiger's both this season and last after being traded away from the Mariners. Fister is actually a very good starter, he just never got the run support he needed in Seattle, an issue that he will not find in Detroit. And when Detroit needs to turn things over to the 'Pen, they're in good hands, as Duane Below has looked solid early this season, and the returning closer, Jose Valverde, was one of the best in baseball last season, not blowing a save all season on his way to a career high forty nine saves.
Moving on, I think a fair point to be brought up is what is to be done with Brandon Inge. A capable player for the Tiger's in years past, Inge has had a cataclysmic drop in value to this franchise, as both his defense and especially his hitting have been deplorable. Management hoped some time in the farm organization might straighten things out for him, but it doesn't seem to have worked, and on Opening Day, he received boos from his own home crowd. It's an unfortunate situation for all involved because of what he has meant to this organization, but at the end of the day, he remains more of a liability to this team than a viable piece of a contender.
As far as this season goes, it doesn't look like the Tiger's will have much of an issue taking the AL Central, they appear to be the dominant team in the division, both with pitching and hitting, and they are also very viable contenders for the World Series as well. It is possible this team could get even better with a trade, possibly to tinker with their leadoff position or maybe try and move Inge or Young. Either way, the Tiger's have assembled one of the better teams in baseball this season so far, and if they can continue this hot play, they can possible bring home a title this year. Just don't go counting on 162-0.
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