#23
The Detroit Tigers are a young up-and-coming roster that looks poised to take a leap in 2021. Will it be enough to be players in the AL Central this season?
#29 - 5th in AL Central
MIH - Jonathan Schoop
MIP - Matthew Boyd
PTW - Casey Mize
FP - Miguel Cabrera will retire at the end of the 2020 season.
2020 Result
#28 - 23-35, 5th in AL Central
I had the Tigers' season pretty well prognosticated last year. They were still a young roster that needed to grow up a little more. One thing I did not get right is Miguel Cabrera is still around as a veteran presence in the clubhouse.
Additions / Subtractions
The Tigers made minor tweaks to their roster getting ready for the 2021 season. They brought in Jose Urena from the Marlins to help their rotation and Robbie Grossman to give professional at bats from the outfield. The rest of the roster is mainly young players needing experience. The biggest move made that could have a huge impact is the hire of AJ Hinch to replace the retiring Ron Gardenhire.
Most Important Hitter
Jeimer Candelario
The best player in terms of WAR for the Tigers last season was Jeimer Candelario, ending the season with almost a .300 average and a 135 OPS+. Entering his age 27 season, this could be just the start of his prime. For a team looking to show some progress in 2021, they are looking for who will be the heart of their future core. If Candelario repeats the production of 2020, he could become a face of this next wave of Tigers success.
Most Important Pitcher
Michael Fulmer
Michael Fulmer's career couldn't have gotten off to a stronger start. He won Rookie of the Year in 2016, then made the All Star Team in 2017. Then in 2018 he got hurt, and it knocked out his entire 2019 season. He came back in 2020 and was far less than what he was before the injury. Now with another year removed, he needs to get his career back on track, either to be a veteran arm anchoring a young rotation or to be a trade chip at the Trade Deadline.
Prospect to Watch
Tarik Skubal
The Tigers have built up a strong farm system, boasting five players in the top 25 best prospects in baseball. Three of those prospects are pitchers that should all be in the Tigers' rotation by the end of the 2021 season. Although Casey Mize gets a lot of the headlines as a former #1 overall pick, Tarik Skubal might be the more impressive. Getting drafted in the 9th round of the same draft that produced Mize, Skubal is a big lefty with a fastball that comes close to triple digits. He was able to log some innings in 2020 with mixed success. Look for 2021 to be a breakout year for Skubal, Mize, and the third of their three-headed prospect monster in Matt Manning.
2021 Predictions
4th in AL Central
I see the Tigers taking a huge step forward in 2021. Moving out of the cellar doesn't sound like a big move, but the AL Central has quietly become one of the deepest divisions in baseball. The addition of AJ Hinch as manager is huge as he has already shown the ability to take a team ready to break out over the top in Houston. You add to that the potential of an elite big 3 emerging at the top of their rotation, and this is going to be a team contenders are not going to want to face in September.
Fearless Predictions
Miguel Cabrera will become a 3000/500 hitter in 2021.
In one year, my thoughts on the role of Miguel Cabrera has completely shifted. Before last season, I viewed Miggy as a relic of a bygone era that was on his way out. Now I see the future Hall of Famer as a veteran presence in a lineup and clubhouse that only has two projected starters over the age of 30 (Cabrera at 38 and Matthew Boyd at 30). This has the potential of being a huge year for Cabrera if he can stay healthy. He needs 134 hits to reach the magical 3000 hit plateau and 13 homers to get to the magical 500 home run mark. He would be only the 7th player to ever reach both numbers. If he gets both this year, this could be an exclamation point on an all-time great career. For many reasons, this should be an exciting season in Detroit.
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