Although the Tigers’ 3-3 record suggests a mixed bag, there has been more good than bad.
These are five observations six games into the 2021 season:
1. As difficult as it may be for you, it’d be wise to pump the brakes on getting overly excited about Akil Baddoo: He is a classic out-of-nowhere story unique to baseball. The problem with such a big buildup is the inevitable letdown. It could be Baddoo will be slumping in June and viewed as another Tigers’ flash-in-the-pan. It wouldn’t be fair.
What’s important here is whether Baddoo can be part of the Tigers’ long-range plan. He’s just 22 years old. The type of player the Rule 5 Draft pick develops into two or three years from now is far more important in the bigger picture than the sizzle from his first week in MLB. Baddoo does have a legitimate chance. His athleticism is above the MLB average. He sure flashed speed on his triple Wednesday. Baddoo has a good set-up in the batter’s box and a relatively short stroke. He has been adroit at flipping the barrel at off-speed pitches and driving the ball. He has a live bat. Now, though, he is going to start getting pounded with fastballs up and in, which seems like where the hole lies in his upper cut swing. He has more upside than the past stream of Tigers’ so-called phenoms, however. It’s an excellent sign he embraced the moment and took advantage of opportunity. But the process has just begun. It’d be wise of Tigers’ fans not to overreact when the growing-pains part of the equation begins for Baddoo. And that will happen this season. Just a matter of time. Guaranteed.
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2. Now that’s the Casey Mize we’ve expected all along: For most of his draft year at Auburn, and early in 2019 at Lakeland and Erie, Mize routinely threw 95 mph to 97 mph with command. He didn’t last season during his MLB debut. His fastball was at a 93.7 average and he threw it for strikes less than half the time. It subsequently took the edge from his off-speed pitches. During his first start in ‘21, Mize averaged 96 mph. The question now is whether Mize, who has a slightly below MLB average spin rate on his 4-seamer, will be able to sustain the higher velocity. His velocity waned late in his final season at Auburn and his first full minor league campaign, and Mize was subsequently hit hard.
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3. The Tigers’ bullpen has to be better: It was stunning the degree to which Cleveland lit up Daniel Norris. His velocity and spin rate are both noticeably off. Buck Farmer, the Tigers’ most consistent reliever in recent years, doesn’t look like the same pitcher. Derek Holland and Tyler Alexander have been similarly ineffective, while Bryan Garcia is in the bottom tenth in hard hit rate. At least Gregory Soto and Jose Cisnero throw hard, and Michael Fuller has made progress. But especially by today’s standards, the Tigers’ bullpen is suspect.
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4. The starting pitching has been a bright spot: Matthew Boyd has returned to form. His pitch sequences have been much better. His slider is considerably sharper, too, and his changeup keeps getting better and he’s throwing it for nearly a quarter of his offerings. Tarik Skubal didn’t remotely have his best so-called stuff, and was still effective in his first outing. Julio Teheran was solid. Only Jose Urena has been shaky.
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5. The A.J. Hinch factor: It’s not unexpected the Tigers’ first-year manager has used so many lineup combinations, and that none of it has mattered. The Tigers lack offensive punch, and there isn’t much Hinch can do about it. Look for Robbie Grossman to heat up a bit and for Miguel Cabrera to come around at the plate -- and perhaps not see as much time at first once Hinch gets more of the downside of Miggy being Miggy. You know, like getting thrown out at the plate the other day.
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