lunedì 11 giugno 2018

Tigers, a step closer to rebuild a top team

The Detroit Tigers had approached the 2018 campaign with the prospect of getting a good draft pick due to the ongoing rebuilding phase. Thanks to a higher level of play and not much to expected and a division like the AL Central that sees a team with only a positive record (the Indians) the team is getting more and more consensus and although most likely will not be a participation in the postseason they will have launched important signals for the future. This is a somewhat unusual situation in recent times for the team of Mo-town that since the early 2000s until a couple of years ago has been used to fighting at the top of the American League twice in the World Series (2006 against the Cardinals, 2012 against the Giants) and losing them both badly. It was these defeats that prevailed above all in Miguel Cabrera as a regular-season player and that the front office opted to enter the rebuilding phase by giving up the prized pieces in exchange for promising youngsters in the future. There is no doubt that the front office led by David Dombrowski is able to find talents and build competitive teams and for this the Tigers fans should feel confident, but the question torments them: they will be able to win the ring this time ? Lawful question given the many years at the top and despite having passed players like Ordonez, Verlander, Scherzer, Willis, JD Martinez and many others have never managed to get to the bottom. Returning to the present with Brad Ausmus in the place that has been Jim Leyland so many years and a record of 31-36 the way back to the top is not the easiest counting that Cabrera is in decline and it will not be easy to replace it, in addition the rotation consists of: Liriano, Zimmerman, Fiers, Boyd and Fulmer is not consistent and spendable in the future as only the last two are under 30. The situation is much more rosy regarding the lineup, one above all is Nick Castellanos, a guy drafted as very promising that until now had never impressed, this year with the transition from 3B to LF or RF that has made it more "free" defensively is experiencing an incredible season beating .321 with 6 homerun. Worthy of note are also the performances of the two emerging: Hicks and Candelario who are showing off thanks to their good numbers at the plate due to the confidence and space reserved for them by this rebuilding situation. As for their ranking in the MLB statistically offensively occupy a more than good eleventh place on average beaten like the Yankees, the only difference between the two batting teams are the statistics of power and average beaten with the riders in positions point ... not to say all clearly in favor of the New Yorkers and see the Tigers in the last places in the league. As for the team ERA Detroit is twentieth with 4.30 hoping that Franklin Perez, Matt Manning and Alex Faedo number 1, 2 and 3 respectively in the top prospects of the farm system can soon arrive in the majors and help the Tigers in this ascent. The pitcher emphasis continued this year when the Tigers with the number 1 call chose Mize, a right-hand pitcher with a powerful arm while in the following rounds they opted for position players like Parker Meadows (Austin's brother of the Pirates) and Kody Clemens 2B son of the legendary Roger. For the team that took the name of the regiment of soldiers who had the barracks a few steps from their old stadium will be a period where they will have to fight with the knife between their teeth to stay afloat and return to dominate the AL Central and maybe aim for that title which has been missing since 1984.


Nessun commento:

Posta un commento