Feast or Famine: Tigers Seek Offensive Consistency

Through games on May 10th, the Tigers rank dead last in runs per game at just 2.83.

Outside of the game they put up 13 on the Rockies the team is averaging just 2.4 runs per game. The most frustrating part of this season for fans is that the team is actually talented, unlike previous seasons. While no one would mistake this roster for the Los Angeles Dodgers, they have plenty of proven big-league hitters. The problem lies in those hitters struggling to start the season and some of last season’s surprising players have regressed. Akil Baddoo, who took the league by storm last April, was recently demoted to Triple-A Toledo. Eric Haase finished tied for second on the team in home runs in 2021 but holds just a .140 batting average through 50 at-bats.

So how do the Tigers find offensive consistency moving forward?

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How to fix the Tigers offensive consistency?

The easiest fix to the Tigers offensive consistency issues are for their proven players to regain their historical form. A batter who is a career .260 hitter is likely to end a season near that mark. Cabrera, Robbie Grossman, Jonathan Schoop, and Jeimer Candelario are all underperforming thus far. However, they are likely to rebound closer to their career averages. In the last week or so both Schoop and Candelario have begun to hit a bit better and Robbie Grossman is still performing well in on-base percentage.

Another option that would seem to make sense would be to make a trade to improve some of the holes on the roster. The biggest holes in terms of current performance are at first base and center field. Spencer Torkelson has struggled through the first six weeks of his career and the combination of Baddoo, Derek Hill, Victor Reyes, and Daz Cameron have combined to drive in just eight runs thus far. While Torkelson may benefit from more time in Triple-A, there isn’t another option to regularly fill first base. Former Tiger CJ Cron has an outstanding season going in Colorado, but the Rockies have a winning record and wouldn’t be inclined to move him. Detroit may be hesitant to fill centerfield with a trade as Riley Greene will be healthy soon. He likely would’ve started the season in Detroit had he not broken his foot in spring training.

AJ Hinch could also look to shift the batting order, which he has done a bit so far. Trying to find someone in the 2 and 3 spots who can regularly provide offense is the key to successful teams. In most games for Detroit Grossman has led off with Austin Meadows batting second. Spots 3 through 5 have featured some combination of Candelario, Cabrera, Schoop, Torkelson, and Javier Baez. When those five are all batting to their peak its a scary lineup. So far they haven’t all been playing well at once and that has led to the slow start for Detroit.

To the surprise of many Tigers fans, the pitching staff has carried the team. The bullpen, which for years was the team’s downfall, is one of the best groups in MLB. Rather than rushing to try and find a quick fix Detroit may benefit from exhibiting a bit of patience. Believing that the team’s best players will return to their career averages is the best bet to fix this issue for the Tigers.