In the end, the Tigers wound up where they've been: last in the AL Central. In that sense, not much was different about Year 4 of the rebuild. But this team played competitive baseball for a good chunk of a strange summer and debuted several new faces in the process. The future feels closer than ever before. Here are 10 takeaways from what was a pretty refreshing baseball season in Detroit.
1. What a difference a year makes. Heck, what a difference two months makes. At this time last September, we were wondering whether Jeimer Candelario remained in the Tigers’ long-term plans. Candelario wasn’t so sure himself. Now we’re talking about the team leader in WAR. After an 0-17 start at the plate, Candelario raked for August and most of September, all while making a smooth transition to first base. His resurgence was crucial for this rebuild.
2. AL Rookie of the Year will probably go to Kyle Lewis of the Mariners. That Willi Castro is even in the conversation is a) something none of us saw coming and b) terrific news for the Tigers. The 23-year-old ranked first among AL rookies – and third in the AL overall – with a .349 average, among hitters with at least 125 at-bats. He’s got a long way to go at shortstop, but there was no better surprise for the Tigers this year than Castro’s contributions at the plate.
3. On the flip side, we have to talk about the downward spiral of Matthew Boyd. It’s a good thing the Tigers have so many arms on the way, because Boyd is not the ace this organization fancied him to be. He gave up the most home runs (15) in the AL for the second year in a row, while also allowing the most earned runs (45) in the majors. Forget being an ace. Boyd needs to prove next season that he’s worthy of a spot in the big-league rotation.
4. While the Tigers identified a couple core pieces in the infield this season, the plan behind the plate is as uncertain as ever. Austin Romine didn’t deliver on his one-year deal, not that he was the answer moving forward. Grayson Greiner is what he is. Most disappointing is that Jake Rogers never earned a shot in the majors – and the 25-year-old is running out of time. Second-round pick Dillon Dingler is next in line for Catcher of the Future.
5. It’ll be interesting to see how the Big Three are ranked heading into next season. If we’re going off this season, it’s Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Matt Manning – with a sizable gap between Nos. 2 and 3. Skubal vaulted himself to the top of the trio with an encouraging debut season, despite an ERA north of 5.00. Mize scuffled, but also flashed his talent. Manning spent the summer working out kinks in Toledo. All in all, it was a good reminder of the jump from Double-A to Detroit.
6. As a whole, Detroit’s bullpen faded after a pretty strong start. The one reliever who got better as the season went along was Bryan Garcia. The 25-year-old parlayed a strong campaign last year in Toledo into an even better performance in Detroit. He gave up two earned runs over his final 22 appearances and finished the season with a 1.66 ERA. Barring an offseason acquisition, Garcia is Detroit’s closer heading into 2021.
7. Which brings us, unfortunately, to Joe Jimenez. Yikes. The 2018 All-Star – a memory slipping further and further into the past – had the worst WAR (-0.5) in the majors this season among relievers with at least 20 innings pitched. He lost the job of closer early in the year and finished with an ERA of 7.15. The decline in his fastball velocity is a real concern for the Tigers, though he did show some positive signs down the stretch.
8. Miguel Cabrera just won’t let us count him out. After failing to hit for power for most of the season, he doubled his home run total (10) over the final 11 games. He wound up leading the Tigers in RBI and posted a semi-respectable OPS of .746. Detroit can’t keep plugging him into the 3-hole forever – and that will be a dilemma for the next manager to confront. But Cabrera’s finish offered hope that he can remain a productive hitter for at least another year.
9. That’s right – the next manager. This is the biggest item on Al Avila’s offseason agenda. Ron Gardenhire deserves credit for setting a positive tone in Detroit’s clubhouse over the past three seasons. His replacement will inherit a team on the rise. Gardenhire cast his vote on his way out the door, but it’s a good bet the Tigers go outside the organization. A.J. Hinch, despite his transgressions in Houston, should be their top target.
10. More than anything else, this season was a breath of fresh air. We got to see the Tigers play meaningful games in September, and we got to pin our hopes on guys like Mize, Skubal and Castro along the way. The playoffs were always a pipedream, and the race was always contrived, but it was nonetheless refreshing to feel the heartbeat of a competitive team again. We've waited a long time for the future.
It feels like it's finally here.