MLB Power Rankings: Ranking the Detroit Tigers' Top 10 MVPs so Far

Sorry Brandon Inge fans, you're not going to see him on this list.

Inge or no Inge, we're nearly a hundred games into the season and the Detroit Tigers see themselves with a game and a half lead the in the AL Central.

However, with several of the individual contributions that some players have given so far, the Tigers should be running away with division.

The Tigers have four of the top 15 batting leaders in the AL, three of the top 20 run producers, an unquestioned leader in the AL Cy Young race and their top four starters are a combined 40-22.

So when the division is just a shade above terrible and everything looks so good on paper how is the division so close?

Well, the starters record is misleading.  Only Justin Verlander has been great all season.  The rest of the starters have been up and down and see their ERAs well into the fours.

The Tigers gave the non-hitting Inge more than enough opportunities to hit his groove (he hit .200) which he couldn't find.  His bat killed the bottom of the lineup.

However, the biggest reason has been the horrific bullpen.  The Tigers are second to last in bullpen ERA at 4.76.  Basically, if you're name isn't Al or Jose (in a save situation) you're getting pounded.

Now appears to be the time for the Tigers to make a run. 

The Indians have been slipping and have a brutal schedule for the next three weeks, the White Sox appear to be stuck in neutral and the Twins have had too many injuries for even Ron Gardenhire to manage through.

If the Tigers are going to hold onto the AL Central, they'll need solid contributions throughout.  Especially, from these top 10 MVPs.

No. 10: Brad Penny

The top nine was pretty easy to come up with.  Picking No. 10 was much tougher. 

Austin Jackson, Rick Porcello and Joaquin Benoit have all had up and down seasons, but their downs were too great to put them on this list.

Ultimately, I went with Brad Penny who was signed to be the No. 5 starter before the season.  He's held that role just fine and has shown to be a savvy veteran.

Where the more talented Porcello and Scherzer have become unravelled by a poor innings, Penny has shown an uncanny ability to rebound from one.

His stats (7-6 with a 4.47 ERA) correctly show he's a bottom of the rotation starter, but that's all that the Tigers needed him to be.

He's often kept games close enough to give the offense a chance.

No. 9: Al Alburquerque

It's been said by everyone, but really, where would the Tigers' relief pitching be without Al Alburquerque?

He's been the most consistent arm in the bullpen and appears to have a very bright future with the team after no one knew who he was six month ago.

While he seems to always walk the first batter he faces, it seldom matters since he averages 14.2 Ks per nine innings.

He's got a repertoire of nasty pitches that tend to make average hitters look like toddlers swinging a bat for the first time.  Seldom have major league hitters missed pitches so badly as they have against Alburquerque.

He's not higher on this list simply because his role on the team, but he's been huge for the Tigers this year.

No. 8: Max Scherzer

The Tigers No. 2 starter has had a perplexing season.  He's got a healthy 11-5 record, but his ERA is elevated at 4.35.

He's unravelled late in a few starts but has been much better in his last three, which bodes will for the Tigers going forward.

He's kept his walks in check lately and has been inducing more ground balls leading to better success.

If he can keep can keep pitching like he has in July, the Tigers will be tough to beat in the AL Central and even scarier for the Red Sox or Yankees to face in the playoffs.

No. 7: Jose Valverde

Far from shut down, Jose Valverde has still been very effective for the team in closing out games.

He rarely makes it pedestrian anymore, but is yet to blow a save this season and has always come through when it mattered. 

Valverde is maddening as he's 24 for 24 when the game is on the line (even Mariano Rivera has blown four saves) but has a ridiculously high 1.42 WHIP.

Still, the team would be in major trouble without him at the back end of the bullpen.

Memo to Jim Leyland, though, don't pitch him in non-save situations.  He's terrible then.

No. 6: Brennan Boesch

After his nightmare end to 2010, Brennan Boesch got his groove back.

Boesch was so bad in the second half of 2010, that he left many questioning his long-term standing with the team.  Boesch, however jumped at the opportunity to play when Magglio Ordonez got hurt and has firmly entrenched himself in the team's long term plans.

After starting the second half 0-10, it seemed like deja vu, but Boesch has rebounded going 5-16 with two home runs and four RBI since.

His defense has improved, as well, proving to no longer be a liability in the outfield.

Boesch's bounce-back season has been vital to the Tigers success on offense.

No. 5: Victor Martinez

Remember when the Tigers were rumored to be in the Adam Dunn sweepstakes?  They instead went with the veteran Victor Martinez and likely saved their season.

Martinez has been been tremendous for the lineup for more reasons than his solid performance.  He protects the Tigers' best hitter and he appears to be rubbing off on other players who are having career seasons.

He hits much better as a DH than a catcher, and luckily Alex Avila's ascension has allowed this to happen more often than not.

His affect on the team is so far reaching that the Tigers would likely be in fourth place without him.  Tremendous addition by Dave Dombrowski.

No. 4: Alex Avila

One of the biggest surprises on the team, Avila has become the best pure catcher in the AL.

While the Twins and Indians are trying to find alternate positions for Joe Mauer and Carlos Santana to play, Avila has been a tremendous defense catcher as well.

His bat, although quiet in July, has been a pleasant surprise leading him to a starting nod in the All-Star game.  He's allowed the Tigers to keep Victor Martinez at DH and gives them the ability to throw their best nine out every day (even though Jim Leyland takes liberties with this too much for fans to like).

Avila's a likable player who's assuming a leadership role in the locker room and needs to be given a lot of credit for Justin Verlander's season.

No. 3: Jhonny Peralta

It's becoming obvious that the Tiger's backup plan at shortstop is going to be a long term solution.

Already an adequate major league hitter, Peralta has blossomed this season hitting .322 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI.

While all the accolades at shortstop in the AL have gone to Derek Jeter for his 3,000th hit and Asdrubal Cabrera for carrying the Indians to contention, Peralta's performance has blown Jeter out of the water and his numbers compare favorably to Cabrera's.

He's not only produced, but has had some huge two-out hits and he appears to only be getting better as the season wears on.

It's apparent that Peralta's season isn't a fluke, rather a product of him hitting in the best lineup of his career.

No. 2: Miguel Cabrera

When Miguel Cabrera was arrested for an ugly DUI in February, many "experts" called for the Tigers to trade Cabrera for anything or his outright release.

Luckily, the Tigers front office knows what all Tigers fans know: Cabrera is one of the marquee hitters in the majors and a special talent.

While written off by some after his binge, Cabrera has shown no ill-effects from the incident and continues to terrorize opposing pitchers.

In light of Adrian Gonzalez's season in Boston, Cabrera's has been somewhat quiet, but he's the engine of the lineup as he makes everything run and it doesn't work without him.

No. 1: Justin Verlander

In his sixth season, the Tigers ace has finally taken that next step.

He's now regularly mentioned with the Halladays, Lees and Lincecums of the world and even ranks above them this year.

He's 13-4 with a 2.24 ERA, a .88 WHIP and has thrown another no-hitter this year.

He has been the Tiger's most feared player all year.  Time and time again he's stopped a Tigers losing streak or extended a winning streak.

If he keeps up his season, it appears only Jered Weaver of the Angels is in Verlander's way for his first Cy Young in what should come down to one of the closest voting results in history.