2012 MLB Handicapping: Detroit Tigers
No one had a better offseason than the Detroit Tigers. While the Tigers won 94 games and beat the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, expectations are much higher this season.
Here are some MLB Futures Odds for the 2012 Detroit Tigers from BetOnline
Odds to Win World Series: +800
Odds to Win AL Pennant: +450
Odds to Win AL Central: -500
Detroit picked up the crown jewel of the free agent market when they signed Prince Fielder to a nine-year deal. It’s hard to think of another team in baseball that will have a lineup that is as feared as the Tigers lineup this season.
Jim Leyland is known as one of the best managers in baseball, and he’ll have plenty of talent to work with in 2012.
It’s extremely rare to see a team listed at -500 to win the division. Can the Tigers live up to the lofty expectations?
Let’s take a closer look at the 2012 Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers finished fourth in the majors in runs scored last season. Add Prince Fielder to the middle of that order and you have a very scary lineup for opposing pitcher’s to go up against. The one big negative for this team is the news of Victor Martinez’s season-ending injury. Martinez is a tremendous hitter when healthy, and he could have likely made this the best lineup in baseball. Still, what pitcher wants to face Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder back-to-back?
Cabrera has established himself as one of the most consistent hitters in baseball. He has a .317 career batting average. He hit .344 with 30 homers and 109 RBI’s last season. Even more impressive was the fact that he walked 108 times compared to just 89 strikeouts. Fielder isn’t quite the average hitter Cabrera is, but he probably has more upside in the home run department.
As great as Fielder and Cabrera are, the Tigers will need solid production from the rest of the lineup. Austin Jackson had a terrific rookie season, but his batting average dropped 44 points last year. Jackson needs to set the table for the big guys by getting on base more often. Brennan Boesch had last year’s season cut short, but he still put up some nice numbers. Leyland will likely have him in the two spot most of this year. The guys who have the most important jobs are probably Delmon Young, Alex Avila, and Johnny Peralta. They will be in the 5 through 7 spot, and they have to provide some protection to Fielder. Avila and Peralta had amazing seasons in 2011, and if they do the same again this year this team will score tons of runs. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Justin Verlander is the best pitcher in baseball right now. He is consistently dominating with his nasty stuff and terrific control. Verlander was named last year’s Cy Young winner as well as the American League MVP. No pitcher had won the award in more than 20 years, so that tells you how dominant he was in 2011. He went 24-5 with a ridiculous 2.40 ERA last season. His extremely low WHIP of 0.92 shows that the season was no fluke.
What about the rest of the rotation? Doug Fister will start in the second slot in the rotation. Fister finished in the top 10 in baseball in WHIP, and he is much better than most realize. Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello will be third and fourth in the rotation. Both of these guys have been wildly inconsistent, but both of them have an extremely high upside. The fifth spot is up for grabs, but look for Jacob Turner to get plenty of chances.
Jose Valverde successfully saved all 49 of his 49 save attempts last year, which was an amazing feat. Valverde is a solid closer, but it is hard to imagine him doing that well again this year. Daniel Schlereth is a great lefty who shuts down opposing left-handed hitters. Joaquin Benoit is one of the league’s best setup men. Overall, the bullpen should be good in 2012.
This is a team that is going to score runs in bunches this year. Every time Verlander takes the mound the Tigers have an excellent chance to win. I think the lineup is deep with talent, and the bullpen is one of the best in the American League. If you are looking to wager on the Tigers, don’t lay -500 on the division. I prefer taking a flyer on them winning the AL Pennant at +450.
2012 Detroit Tigers Projected Record: 97-65
