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Five weeks into the 2015 MLB season, the Detroit Tigers (19-13) are looking up at the Kansas City Royals (20-12) in the American League Central Division standings.

A one-game deficit in no way constitutes “languishing,” but the Tigers are a team accustomed to being front-runners. Winning four straight division titles is testament to that.

Despite currently playing chaser, their .594 winning percentage is nothing to be sneezed at. In fact, if you extrapolate this figure over a full season, the Tigers are on pace for 96 wins—six more than 2014. Ergo, you can make a good argument for progress in the early going.

There have been some noticeable causes. With a stronger bench, manager Brad Ausmus has been able to tinker with his lineup and manipulate matchups to the team’s favor. Defensively, the team is also night-and-day compared to last year. Meanwhile, the bullpen is still a major concern (sigh), but one pitcher is shining brightly in a murky sea of mediocrity.

Click “next” for extended analysis on what’s getting the thumbs-up right now in Motown.

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The Detroit Tigers have begun the 2015 regular season in fine fashion. A 17-9 record through the first month puts them in familiar territory atop the American League Central Division.

Their advantage, however, is of minuscule proportions. Kansas City (16-9) currently sits only a half-game adrift of the Tigers. The two sides have swapped leads on several occasions already, and the 2014 AL champion Royals figure to be neck and neck with Detroit all year long.

So what’s the deal with these first-place Tigers?

“Detroit” and “defense” were two words that used to go together like oil and water. Things have sure changed. Jose “The Human Highlight Reel”, Iglesias is healthy again this season, and his impact has been profound on the team’s fielding. 

The gifted shortstop is not the only player who has returned from 2013 to provide a boost. First baseman Miguel Cabrera is back, too.

Say what?

Indeed, Cabrera was very much present last season, playing in 159 games for Detroit. However, he simply wasn’t the Miggy of his MVP days. That colossal figure has returned in 2015 to lead a stud-laden yet inconsistent Detroit offense.

As for the pitching, starters David Price, Anibal Sanchez, Shane Greene, Alfredo Simon and Kyle Lobstein have arguably been the best starting quintet in the league. Considering that the exits of Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello created a talent vacuum, this is a major surprise.

With plenty to examine after one month, it’s time to grab the microscope and zoom in on the five major happenings in Tigertown.

*Rankings are based on how significant its impact has been to the team.

5. Joakim Soria is providing rare ninth-inning security

It’s been a while since Detroit has felt good about its closer—four seasons, to be exact. Not since Jose Valverde was mowing down hitters in 2011 has Detroit had a reliable ninth-inning stopper.

Not until now, anyway.

Soria has been lights out with Detroit this season, much to the delight (relief?) of most Tigers fans.

Bringing his Mariano Rivera-esque composure to the hill, the 30-year-old is a perfect 10-of-10 in saves since Tommy John surgery shut down former closer Joe Nathan for the season. It is a noteworthy turnaround for Soria, who had a terrible start to his Tigers career after Texas traded him last July.

According to starter Sanchez, Soria’s presence exudes confidence through the ballclub, per James Schmehl of MLive.com: “He just goes out there relaxed and throws the ball in the right spots. Everybody feels comfortable (with him around).”

4. Miguel Cabrera is back on top of his game

By any mortal’s standards, Cabrera had a very fine season in 2014. Most big league hitters would gratefully accept a .313/.371/.524 slash line with 25 dingers and 101 RBI if you offered it to them before the season.

But this is Miguel Cabrera we’re talking about.

Last year was quite a regression from his .348/.442/.636 line of 2013.

But this drop-off must be put in perspective. Cabrera entered the 2014 campaign after undergoing core surgery, and then ankle and foot injuries beset him during the regular season.

Healthy again now, the veteran slugger is discarding to the trash heap any thoughts of a decline. His .366 batting average (third in the AL) and a career-high 1.083 OPS unequivocally show that the old Miggy is back.

Another indicative sign is that pitchers are fearing him again. Cabrera is third in the AL with 17 walks already, including four intentional passes.

Just imagine if Victor Martinez gets going behind him. Scary stuff.

3. The starting rotation has excelled

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

Subtracting Scherzer and Porcello while adding Greene and Simon should equal certain regression, right? Not so far.

Through 26 games, Detroit’s staff ranks first in the AL in wins, innings and quality starts.

Remarkably, no Tigers starter ranks in the top 10 in the league in ERA. But barring an off day or two, the rotation has been excellent as a group.

Its prospects should only get better, too. 2011 AL MVP Justin Verlander is still absent due to an injured triceps, and his return will provide an enormous boost.

The performance of the rotation pips Cabrera and Soria due to the need for it to step up after two substantial offseason departures. It has also been very timely considering…

2. The offense has been prone to slumps

With a lineup including Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Yoenis Cespedes and Ian Kinsler, you’d almost expect Detroit’s offense to be slump-proof. Not so.

During the first month, the Tigers have failed to score runs on a consistent basis. They currently rank eighth in the AL with a mediocre 4.5 runs per game.

Some nights, the bats are barely showing up at all. The Tigers have scored two runs or less in 11 of their 26 games (42 percent).

While Nick Castellanos, Alex Avila and the strikeout-prone J.D. Martinez have caused their share of head scratches, the biggest concern has been Victor Martinez. The designated hitter’s major league-high .974 OPS in 2014 has nearly halved this year to an unflattering .544.

He hasn’t been himself at the plate after February knee surgery interrupted his preparation for the season. While still bothered by it, Martinez has shown some signs of improvement lately, according to manager Brad Ausmus, per Chris Iott of MLive.com:

“He seems to be progressing. The limp’s not as noticeable. When he’s taking pitches, he looks more normal, more comfortable, so I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

This takeaway grabs second, as its scoring rate (3.5 per game in their last 20) must be improved if Detroit is to be a genuine contender this year.

1. The Tigers can now play defense

While great offense and starting pitching have been staples of Detroit teams over the years, defense has never been its forte. This year, it’s a transformed unit.

Opposing teams would know this as well as anybody. After facing the Tigers six times already, Indians manager Terry Francona has certainly taken notice, per Dave Hogg of Fox Sports Detroit:

They’ve gotten so much more athletic on defense, especially up the middle, which makes them even tougher to beat. They’ve had great center fielders here for a while, but (Anthony) Gose and (Rajai) Davis can both fly out there, (Jose) Iglesias is obviously a great defensive shortstop and (Ian) Kinsler is really good at second.

The numbers back him up. Detroit’s .990 fielding percentage is second in the league, and only the Tampa Bay Rays have given up less unearned runs.

Watching the Tigers play defense is not hard on the eye, either. Take a look at Iglesias in action:

Detroit’s improved glove work gets top spot, as it arguably makes it a more complete team than it has been during any of its contending years. What do you think?

Stats in this article are courtesy of FanGraphs and MLB.com

Hit me up on Twitter: @jdunc1979

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Not too long ago, it wasn’t beyond reason to think 2015 would be the year Miguel Cabrera finally slipped from the ranks of Major League Baseball’s elite hitters.

But now? Yeah, now that notion comes off as crazy talk. Rather than a hitter in decline, Cabrera is looking much more like his vintage self.

Through 13 games, the 32-year-old Detroit Tigers slugger is hitting .400 with a 1.084 OPS, numbers reminiscent of the height of his power from 2010 to 2013. And while these figures don’t lead everyone else, FanGraphs puts Cabrera among the game’s top 10 hitters in adjusted offense.

Obviously, it’s early. We’re talking a sample size containing two weeks of baseball and only 56 plate appearances, so go ahead and hum the small sample size song if you must. It’s appropriate.

But we’re not going to stop this conversation right there. In light of all that’s recently gone on with Cabrera, his early hot hitting is just too encouraging to ignore.

Let’s hop in the TARDIS and go back to the end of 2013. That’s when another brilliant season by Cabrera suddenly hit a wall, as he was overcome by injuries and just wasn’t the same hitter down the stretch or in the postseason. Then came core muscle surgery in the offseason, which figured to make it difficult for him to bounce back in 2014.

Sure enough, he didn’t. Cabrera freely admitted at the All-Star break to not feeling 100 percent healthy, and it ultimately showed in his numbers. Though he finished among the game’s top hitters, he had the lowest full-season home run total of his career, and his OPS dropped 142 points from his 2012-2013 OPS. He then had another major surgery in the offseason, this time on his right ankle.

None of this was a good look on a guy getting further past the danger zone that is the age of 30. Hence why a healthy dose of skepticism about Cabrera’s 2015 season was warranted.

So much for that. Because what’s important now is not only that Cabrera is producing like his vintage self but also that he legitimately looks like his vintage self.

To get at the heart of what’s going on with Cabrera, let’s go back to the utter domination of a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians that’s pictured above.

In that series, Cabrera wrecked Cleveland pitching to the tune of a .786 average and a 2.086 OPS. When asked about what was working for him, he gave a typical man-of-few-words answer.

“I feel very good,” he told MLB.com’s Jason Beck and Jordan Bastian. “I feel like I’m seeing the ball very good, try to get my pitches and try to put a good swing on the ball.”

There’s admittedly not much to be gleaned here. But at the least, it was nice to hear Cabrera say he’s feeling good. There’s also something to him getting his pitches, as his increased walk rate and decreased strikeout rate can vouch that he’s having better at-bats than he was in 2014.

But if there’s something that’s really worth reading into, it’s Cabrera saying he’s putting good swings on the ball. He didn’t elaborate on what he meant by that, but Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press summed up the results of the eye test.

“His at-bats said plenty: his balanced stance, his fluid hip turn, his fearlessness as he planted his (surgically repaired) foot, his unmistakable torque, the result of letting it fly without worry of pain in the groin,” Windsor wrote.

In so many words, Windsor saw a hitter who, for the first time in a long time, finally looked healthy.

And with the help of some moving pictures, we can too.

For starters, this is what a typical Cabrera swing looked like early in 2014:

There’s no frowning on the result of that swing, but the swing itself didn’t look pretty. Most notably, you can see some sluggish hip rotation and bat speed and then a two-handed follow-through noticeably less explosive than Cabrera’s typical one-handed follow-through.

Keep all this in mind while you watch this swing:

Here, you can see everything Windsor noted in action: the sturdy back foot, the explosive hip rotation and bat speed, and the vintage one-handed follow-through. With all that going on, it’s no surprise that the contact being made here is much louder than the contact in the above video.

And if we’re going to get into the benefits of Cabrera regaining his vintage swing, that’s as good a place as any to start.

According to Mark Simon of ESPN Stats & Info, Cabrera actually had one of the best hard-hit rates among qualified hitters last year at 23.3 percent. But early in 2015, he’s doing even better than that at a rate of 25.5 percent, putting him near the top of the early leaderboard:

Granted, it sure didn’t hurt that Cabrera got two hanging changeups to tee off on in that game against the Indians. He could have (and probably would have) done that even with the swing he had in 2014.

But one thing that swing wasn’t so good for was catching up to the heat. And so far this season, that trend is looking like ancient history.

As Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs pointed out, pitchers attempted to exploit Cabrera’s diminished state early last season by challenging him with an increased number of fastballs in the strike zone. And it worked. According to Baseball Savant, Cabrera hit just .300 against in-zone heat last April. At year’s end, his .372 against in-zone heat was his worst mark since 2008.

But so far this year? As of the start of play Monday, Cabrera was hitting a whopping .684 against in-zone fastballs. And though this is with only two extra-base hits, it’s still confirmation that challenging him with fastballs in the zone is no longer a sound strategy.

Neither is giving Cabrera anything he can pull. He quietly struggled to hit for his usual power to his pull side in 2014, but here are some figures that can show that trend appears to have bitten the dust:

And so, it’s to the checklist we go. So far in 2015, we have a Miguel Cabrera who’s producing like Miguel Cabrera, swinging like Miguel Cabrera, punishing the ball like Miguel Cabrera, handling fastballs like Miguel Cabrera and using left field like Miguel Cabrera.

Sounds like he’s all the way back, right? Sure does.

But there’s always a catch. And in this case, there are a couple.

As nice as it is to see Cabrera killing the ball to left field, he’s not using the opposite field nearly as well as he usually does. Also, he’s been vulnerable against breaking balls. And despite his impressive hard-hit rate, his line-drive rate (24.8 to 20.5) and, according to Baseball Heat Maps, average fly-ball distance (304.9 to 291.7) are both down.

So no, the Cabrera we’ve seen so far in 2015 isn’t quite a perfect representation of the Cabrera who wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers between 2010 and 2013. He’ll need to figure things out if he wants to be that guy again.

But for now, it’s good enough that Cabrera is looking more like himself now than he was this time last year. And though noting as much doesn’t necessarily overrule the whole small sample size thing, it can be noted that what we’re seeing is Cabrera picking up where he left off.

Cabrera didn’t have his best season in 2014, but you never would have known it had you only tuned in to watch him at the end of the year. He had a 1.118 OPS and eight homers in September, and he OPS’d 1.144 with another homer in the postseason.

He looked a lot then like he does now. His swing was night and day from where it had been earlier in the year, he hit .500 against in-zone fastballs and he was assaulting left field with extra-base hits.

Even after a hot finish like that, you could still fear that Cabrera’s age and ankle surgery—which, again, was his second major operation in 12 months—would combine to slow him down out of the gate and beyond in 2015. Instead, he hasn’t skipped a beat.

The decline of Miguel Cabrera is going to come eventually. And when it does, nobody is going to enjoy it.

But it doesn’t look like we have to worry about that right now. Instead, let’s leave the worrying to opposing pitchers and allow ourselves to delight in watching an all-time great hitter continue to do his thing.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

If you want to talk baseball, hit me up on Twitter.

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The Detroit Tigers possess no ordinary starting rotation. At least, not during their four-year postseason run that preceded this campaign. The likes of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, David Price and Rick Porcello have combined to make them the most dominant group in the American League.

Want proof? Since 2011, Tigers’ starters have recorded more wins, innings pitched and a higher K/9 than any other AL staff.

But last winter’s departures of Scherzer and Porcello—122 combined wins in the past four years—signaled a seismic shift in Motown. Minus two elite starters and with scant resources available in the farm system, Detroit needed external help.

Enter Shane Greene.  The lanky right-hander was acquired via trade last December and charged with filling some super-sized shoes.

Greene brought to the Motor City only 15 career major league appearances and five wins. All of these came last year with the New York Yankees. Before arriving in the Big Apple, he had compiled a 29-43 record in the minors with a 4.39 ERA—hardly prepossessing numbers.

Based on these credentials, Detroit’s newbie seems like a modest solution to a colossal problem. A Band-Aid applied to a six-inch gash.

But Greene performed admirably last season when called up by New York. More than that, he showed some signs that he could be a pitcher on the verge of breaking out.

At times he was unhittable in 2014, and Detroit saw this firsthand. The Tigers twice had the displeasure of facing Greene’s filthy offerings. His combined numbers in these outings were compelling: 2-0, 15 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 13 K.  

However, the righty remained plagued with inconsistency: Only six of his 14 starts were quality starts. Something was missing.

Greene’s pitching arsenal, including two-seam and four-seam fastballs, a cutter and a slider are all above-average pitches. It is this impressive kitbag that earned him a shot at the big show. But he lacked a quality changeup.

In his Yankees outings, his changeup was nearly nonexistent. According to FanGraphs, he used it only 4.3 percent of the time.

Greene recognized the need to put in the work and improve his changeup. He recently told Ashley Dunkak of CBS that “a lot of trial and a lot of error” may have finally led to a breakthrough. “I’ve been trying different changeup grips my whole career, and towards the end of the season last year I found one that I got pretty comfortable with…”

Tigers pitching coach Jeff Jones saw plenty of potential in his changeup during the spring.  Jones predicted its usage would increase exponentially this season: “I think his ceiling is very high…and I think it’ll be even higher with the changeup…If he gets confident in it, he may use it 15 to 20 times,” he suggested to Dunkak.

Jones’ comments now seem quite prophetic. In Greene’s outing last week versus Minnesota—his first as a Tiger—13 of his 85 pitches (15.3 percent) were changeups.

The result? The right-hander had arguably the finest outing of his career. He gave up no earned runs in eight highly-efficient innings and got the victory. Greene may now be ready to take that step up to the elite level.

There is arguably nobody better to judge the quality of a pitcher’s offerings than the man catching them. Alex Avila has spent plenty of time receiving Greene since March. He was effusive in praising his battery mate when speaking to Dunkak:

He’s got four nasty pitches…His stuff is flat-out nasty, and he’s able to command it. When he’s able to command his pitches in the zone, he’ll have a lot of success because his stuff is really good. Having faced him last year, catching him during the spring, I’m very excited about his year … I think as he continues to develop and to figure himself out, he can win a lot of ball games.

There is no expectation that Greene will replace the output of 2013 Cy Young Award winner Scherzer. But, he may well be a very handy substitute for Porcello. In fact, the two share some striking similarities. The latter has achieved success through the years inducing ground balls. Last season, Greene’s 50.2 ground-ball percentage was 1.2 percent higher than Porcello’s. They are also both 26 years old and neither is vertically challenged—Greene is one inch shorter at 6’4”.

Of course, Porcello’s 75 career wins currently dwarf Greene’s six. But history does not determine the future, and Greene may still outperform the Red Sox hurler in the months and years to come. He will cost a lot less, too.

Earlier this month, Porcello signed a lucrative multi-year deal with Boston.  

With Porcello’s contract heading into its final year in 2015, the Tigers knew he was a pricey proposition with no guarantee of returning. On the other hand, newcomer Greene will be under team control at least through the 2022 season while earning just above the league minimum this year.

Greene’s contract will be also be highly beneficial for Detroit, who would prefer to avoid exceeding the luxury-tax threshold of $189 million. Their current total payroll sits at just over $173 million, according to ESPN.

Of course, things need to be kept in perspective. Greene’s six career wins are just that—six wins. He still has everything to prove. However, he and his fellow Detroit starters are showing that their staff may not be the fallen giant that many people suspected.

If Greene and the others can maintain their momentum, they may yet prove to be the equal of any Tigers rotations of the recent past.

All stats in the this article are courtesy of FanGraphs

Hit me up on Twitter: @jdunc1979

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Baseball is back!

The Detroit Tigers‘ Yoenis Cespedes hopped on the highlight train with an incredible leaping grab in the top of the third inning against the Minnesota Twins. 

The 2014 All-Star made the sensational catch while slamming into the wall, robbing Minnesota’s Kurt Suzuki of the long ball. His pitcher, David Price, was more than happy.

The Tigers went on to win 4-0.

[MLB]

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The Detroit Tigers begin the 2015 MLB season in less than one week.

On April 6, the Tigers host the Minnesota Twins to kickstart their 115th season in the American League. Pitching ace David Price will lead Detroit at Comerica Park as they attempt to retain the Central Division crown for a record-tying fifth straight year. Only the Cleveland Indians, who topped the division from 1995 to 1999, have dominated this AL Central longer than the current Tigers.

Despite their strong grasp on the division, the Tigers will certainly have their work cut out for them this year. The emergence of the Indians, Royals and White Sox will make this one of the tightest divisions in the game.

There is also a feeling that Detroit may be coming back into the pack. Last year’s AL Division Series exit was their worst finish to a season since 2010. In 2015, FanGraphs predicts that Detroit will drop down to 84 wins and be succeeded by the Indians as division champions.

Despite the detractors, wresting AL Central supremacy away from Detroit will be no easy task. This is a club still committed to winning at almost any cost.

The Tigers’ continued tinkering this past offseason, including the additions of Yoenis Cespedes and Anthony Gose, shows their willingness to adapt to the times. In an era of pitching dominance, Detroit’s hitting lineup is now arguably the finest in the league. With David Price, Justin Verlander and Anibal Sanchez featuring in the starting rotation, they look pretty formidable there too.

Still convinced the team is in decline?

Read on to see why the prevailing mood in Detroit should be one of optimism as the season draws closer.

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Detroit Tigers star pitcher Justin Verlander is dealing with a tricep issue that could put the right-hander on the disabled list to start the season. 

Continue for updates. 

Verlander Could Head to DL with Tricep Issue 

Tuesday, March 31

On March 30, ESPN.com reported Verlander would miss his next scheduled start with a tricep issue.

Brad Iott of MLive.com reported on Verlander’s status, courtesy of Detroit manager Brad Ausmus:

Verlander won the American League Cy Young Award and the pitching Triple Crown in 2011, posting MLB-best totals in wins, ERA and strikeouts that year. However, he experienced adversity in 2014, as injuries hampered him and led to one of the worst seasons of his career.

A nagging right shoulder problem and surgery before the season to address an abdominal injury were among the ailments Verlander suffered last year.

Before the 2015 campaign, Verlander expressed optimism about his health, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:

To be honest, it’s night and day. I feel better than I have in years. I was able to get back into my normal routine, get into the weight room. I also was seeing a physical therapist for an hour and a half, three days a week, just learning about my body, how the surgery could have affected me. I feel great right now.

Losing Max Scherzer to the Washington Nationals this winter was a big blow to Detroit’s pitching rotation. The good news is the Tigers have another ace in southpaw David Price to help fill the void, and it’s important for Price to make the most of his starts while Verlander recovers.

Veteran Anibal Sanchez is another solid option on the Detroit staff. Although he has a strong career ERA, Sanchez dealt with injuries of his own in 2014.

Thus, it is even more important that Verlander’s latest injury is only minor. Based on his prior durability and tremendous workload, he has to hope his latest string of health issues isn’t an ongoing trend.

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Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander gave an unsuspecting fan at Starbucks the surprise of a lifetime.

A young fan was standing in line while wearing a Verlander shirsey (shirt + jersey). The fan had no idea his idol athlete was literally standing right behind him. Verlander had time to snap a selfie before the unsuspecting fan turned around.

Can you imagine? Getting your beverage and turning around to see your favorite athlete?. Love when this stuff happens.

[Instagram]

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The Detroit Tigers have now completed more than half of their 2015 spring training schedule. It has been a largely unsuccessful March for Detroit if you only consider its record (7-14). However, wins and losses mean precious little during this stage of the year.

What matters most is players getting in their reps and optimizing their preparation for a minimum six-month-long season.

With the exception of Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, most of Detroit’s regular players have spent ample time on the diamond. The aforementioned sluggers began their seasons on March 22 after injuries kept them sidelined for most of spring training. Their return is a crucial development for the club.

Spring has also provided an opportunity for youngsters to make an impression and audition for a roster spot. James McCann, Anthony Gose and Hernan Perez have seemingly booked their tickets to Motown based on their performances to date.

Others, such as Daniel Fields and Jose Valdez, have laid down markers through their strong performances. In contrast, some prospects (e.g., Steven Moya) have failed to impress in the early going.

The ensuing top five spring takeaways are ranked according to their importance to the team as it looks ahead to Opening Day on April 6.

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For the first time in seven seasons, Justin Verlander won’t take the hill for the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day, as that honor has instead been given to David Price.  

MLB‘s official Twitter account reported the decision by Tigers manager Brad Ausmus:

Although Verlander’s numbers have dipped in recent years, the 2011 American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner is still a hugely popular figure in Detroit.

After posting a 4.54 ERA in 2014, though, Ausmus went in a different direction. According to Chris Iott of MLive.com, Verlander wasn’t at all combative after the announcement was made: “Well, obviously it’s easy for Price to handle well. But Ver was great. He actually was. I don’t know how to describe it other than that he was great. When I told him, he handled it great. No one wants to be told they’re not starting opening day when they’re certainly a viable candidate.”

The Tigers acquired Price in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays last season, and the big lefty finished the campaign with 15 wins and a 3.26 ERA. Despite the fact that Price has clearly bypassed Verlander, James Schmehl of MLive.com was surprised by the move:

After winning the AL Central last season, Detroit is expected to do so once again in 2015. In order to accomplish that goal and make a run at the World Series, though, both Price and Verlander must be big-time contributors.

While Price will be the first to toe the rubber this season, Verlander will still very much have an opportunity to redeem himself and return to the elite ranks.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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