Relax Tigers Fans, Detroit Will Take Charge of the A.L. Central by the Break

With all of the negativity that Tigers fans dish out towards their team, they need to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. The Tigers are winners of eight of their last 11 games and are in the midst of a turnaround that will see them take charge of the A.L. Central.

Let us not forget that it took a September charge last season for the Tigers to "lay down the lay" per say. The team has the ability to put big runs and winning streaks together. Led this season by an offense that is beginning to hit a stride and with last season's A.L. MVP, Justin Verlander, Detroit finds itself only a couple of games out of first place.

Look at it this way. All teams have ebbs and flows throughout the season—ups and downs that see teams look like we believe they should play and that see teams disappoint with frustration at others.

Would you rather your team be at the height of its game early in the season or close out the year on a tear? I would take the latter.

The Detroit offense has seen Miguel Cabrera produce at his normal All-Star rate, hitting .313 with 14 homers and 55 RBI. Offseason signee Prince Fielder is batting at a .311 clip and on pace for 106 RBI and a personal best, low strikeout ration.

Prince may have low power numbers, but his contact at the plate is a great sign; I would expect his power numbers to increase moving forward. The return of Austin Jackson and the emergence of Quentin Berry, both at the top of the lineup, only bode well for the offense as a whole.

The Tigers' primary cause for concern is a shaky starting rotation. The return of Drew Smyly will be a boost of adrenaline. Rick Porcello is continuing his progress, and Max Scherzer seems to be the wild card here.

Max's ability to strike opposing batters out is a sign that he is doing something right. All but one of his outings over the past month have been winnable outings for his club. With Scherzer keeping it up, look for the rotation woes to begin to dwindle.

So, once again, Tigers' fans should rest assured and relax just a bit.

Your team is putting it together and is getting healthy. It was a healthy club that got off to a hot start this season before injuries hit. The Tigers will take over first place by the All-Star break and maintain it through September.