Detroit Tigers: Top 5 Players Who Made Their Major League Debut in 2014

The Detroit Tigers finished yet another season short of the ultimate goal of winning a World Series. Because of injuries and ineffectiveness, the team relied heavily on young players and minor leaguers to step in.

Most of the players who made their Major League debuts for the Tigers were pitchers. The bullpen was in flux all year, while the fifth spot in the starting rotation also had hiccups. The team incorporated some top-hitting prospects late in the year as September call ups while shortstop Eugenio Suarez received legitimate playing time at shortstop.

It’s hard to take too much away from these players’ debuts, seeing as some only received game time as September call ups in lopsided games. Despite limited playing time, however, these players still have tremendous potential.

*Note, this list does not include all rookies. Nick Castellanos made his first plate appearance in 2013, making him ineligible.

Honorable Mention

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Tyler Collins

Initially on Detroit’s Opening Day roster, Tyler Collins found himself back in Triple-A by the middle of April. He probably would have received more chances to impress in Detroit if it weren’t for J.D. Martinez’s rise to prominence.

Instead, he went to the minors and turned in a very solid season. The outfielder hit 18 home runs, drove in 62 runs, hit .263 and finished with a .758 OPS. He also swiped 12 bases.

A prolific hitter in college, Collins projects as a solid Major League player. He won’t put up Miguel Cabrera-like numbers offensively, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him generate a stat line similar to his Triple-A numbers in the majors down the road.

5. James McCann

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James McCann’s first stint in Detroit was a short one. He appeared in nine games, totaled three hits (one of which was a double) and stole a base. It’s hard to glean anything from his advanced statistics due to such a small sample size, but McCann shows promise nonetheless.

McCann was widely perceived as a defense-first/backup type (hitting .200 in Double-A in 2012 probably didn’t help either). However, the backstop showed improvement in 2014, posting a .295 batting average in Triple-A to go along with a .770 OPS. All in all, McCann shows the promise to contribute on offense and defense.

At the very least, he should surpass Bryan Holaday as Alex Avila’s normal deputy in 2015. It’s hard to compare the two, but because McCann projects well defensively and his Triple-A numbers were superior to Holaday’s (McCann’s Triple-A OPS was .770 while Holaday’s was merely .684), it would make sense for McCann to make the team.

McCann could be in for even more playing time if he continues to show he can hit, as defense isn’t an issue. If Avila is given a lighter workload to protect his health, the former second-round pick could receive even more time behind the dish.

4. Blaine Hardy

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One of Dave Dombrowski’s under-the-radar finds (along with Al Alburquerque and Quintin Berry), Hardy showed serious promise as a dependable reliever in the major leagues. He struggled some down the stretch, but still posted a sparkling 2.54 ERA in 38 appearances.

The Seattle native’s splits looked solid as well. His home ERA (2.13) was outstanding, and while his road ERA (2.95) was nearly a run higher, it still comes off as a positive. Since Comerica Park is a pitchers’ park, some Detroit pitchers post much better numbers at home than they do on the road. It’s a good sign that both Hardy’s home and away ERAs weren’t too different and that they were low numbers.

In addition, Hardy showed the ability to get left-handed hitters out, holding lefties to a .203 batting average against.

He may not have Justin-Verlander-in-his-prime stuff, but Hardy has already shown the ability to be effective at the big league level. He can only progress from here.

3. Kyle Lobstein

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The man Brad Ausmus refers to as “Lobber” was one of the many candidates the Tigers turned to in their search for a fifth starter. While Buck Farmer and Robbie Ray struggled immensely and Kyle Ryan and Drew VerHagen were limited to one start, Kyle Lobstein took hold of the opportunity and performed well.

The former Rays farmhand was exactly what the Tigers needed.

His numbers seem pedestrian at first—7 games, 6 starts, a 4.35 ERA and a .236 batting average against in 39.1 innings pitched, and 6.2 strikeouts per 9 innings. But when you take out his major league debut (where he pitched 5.2 innings of mop-up work in a blowout) and an abysmal outlier of a start late in the season against the Twins, you get a very respectable stat line.

A stat line that reads like this: 5 games, 5 starts, a 3.10 ERA and a .224 batting average against over the span of 29.0 innings. The most important stat during that stretch was “4-1.” No, that doesn't refer to Lobstein’s record (he was 1-1), but it does refer to the Tigers’ record over that span. Lobber doesn’t have outstanding stuff—it won’t jump out at you—but that same stuff keeps his team in the game while giving them a chance to win.

2. Robbie Ray

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Robbie Ray struggled immensely in his first season in the majors. His overall numbers aren’t pretty—a 8.16 ERA in 28.2 innings pitched. Left-handed batters hit .351 off the former Nationals pitcher, while righties had a .349 line.

Despite all the on-field hardship, there were positives to be taken. Ray’s first two starts (plus a two-out relief cameo) yielded 12 innings with a 0.75 ERA and a .227 batting average against. It went downhill from there, but those appearances show promise.

That’s what the Tigers are banking on: promise. Ray came over as the centerpiece of the Doug Fister trade and, should things pan out, he will take his rotation spot down the road. Those two starts, coupled with positive performances in the Arizona Fall League, could lead to Ray flourishing in 2015. Like Lobstein, Ray isn’t a power pitcher, but he has shown a knack for the strikeout throughout his major league career. He likely won’t be an ace, but he has the chance to be a good middle-of-the-rotation starter.

1. Steven Moya

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Moya may only be ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect in Detroit’s system, according to MLB.com, but he shows tremendous promise. The outfielder is the definition of someone with raw power, judging by his demolition of the Eastern League in Double-A, where he produced a staggering 35 home runs in 133 games. To go along with the dingers, he also stole 16 bases and produced 71 total extra base hits. As an aside, only four players in the Majors had over 70 base hits. It’s no easy feat to accomplish.

Moya probably isn’t the next big thing in terms of hitting, but he could still be an extremely productive big league player. His only wart so far is striking out—an occurrence that happens much too often. The outfielder fanned 161 times in 133 Double-A games. He only walked 23 times, by comparison.

Even if strikeouts are an issue moving forward, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the outfielder hit 20 or, more likely, 30 home runs a year once he’s in the big leagues. He has that kind of raw power. If he can improve his plate discipline, those power numbers could improve even more. Should he fix his strikeout habit, don’t be surprised if Moya makes an All-Star Game or two in his career.

All stats courtesy of http://www.baseball-reference.com/ unless otherwise noted.