Detroit Tigers: Midseason Grades and Projections for the Second Half

The first half is over and the Tigers are sitting in first place. They had five All-Stars, they have a legit Cy Young candidate and a legit MVP candidate. They also play in a very weak division.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that there are gargantuan holes in the lineup as Brandon Inge, Ryan Raburn and anybody playing second base can not hit a lick. All of the other pitchers in the rotation besides Justin Verlander have been inconsistent, and they need to find a fifth starter quickly.

The bullpen has had its moments. Jose Valverde has been great, but Jaquin Benoit struggled early, Ryan Perry was beat up, and others have come and gone.

The Tigers play has exemplified this imbalance. They win four straight, then lose three straight, they win six straight, then lose five straight.

This has been a very stressful year for most involved. Here are the midseason grades for the Tigers by position and a projection of what to look forward to in the second half.

First Base-Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera has been his usual MVP caliber self this year. He has 18 home runs, 59 rbi and is hitting .311.

Cabrera is a better than average defender and is still improving.

In the second half, look for Cabrera to continue to play his game. He has become one of the top five hitters in the game, and is a lock for 30+ homers, 100+ rbi, and a .300+ average.

The key for home big that plus is depends on the production in front of him. He needs a more consistent number one and two hitters in order to boost his numbers.

Midseason Grade:

A

Second Base-Ryan Raburn, Will Rhymes, Carlos Guillen

This has been the second most disappointing position from a production standpoint this year.

Ryan Raburn has been a huge disappointment, Will Rhymes is back in Toledo, and Carlos Guillen hasn't played a game yet.

Raburn started the year as the starting left fielder, didn't produce, then was plugged in at second when Rhymes bonked and his production hasn't changed.

I know Jim Leyland is an old curmudgeon that would rather eat his hat than bow to public pressure, but his job is on the line and he has got to stop trotting Raburn out there. He is hitting .214 with an obp of .248! Stop the insanity!

Luckily, Carlos Guillen should be ready to return in the second half and hopefully stay healthy. If Guillen can hit .260 or better with an obp around .320, both of which are about 25 points below his career average, all will be well. Sure, his range isn't going to be great, but you will gladly take that given how bad Raburn and Rhymes were.

Midseason Grade

F

Third Base-Brandon Inge, Don Kelly

Tell me the truth, when you are looking at the above picture, do you see him A)miss that ball, B)pop up to the pitcher, or C)ground into a double play?

For me it is option A, and he has done a lot of that this year. Of his 207 at bats, 57 have been strikeouts. Only 38 have been hits. So his strikeout percentage is .25 and his batting average is .184. Just pathetic.

His obp is .250, he has one home run and 17 rbi. There are pitchers that have better numbers than that.

Inge's supporters are finally running out of excuses for the guy as his stellar glove can't make up for a guy that can't hit.

In the second half it will take a miracle for him to keep his job.

Don Kelly has been a bit better hitting .245 with three dingers and 11 rbi but even that isn't good enough for this position.

Luckily, Jhonny Peralta and Alex Avila are producing at positions that were not thought to be strengths, but regardless your third baseman needs to produce something.

Detroit has some excellent prospects in the minor leagues at this position, but they are a couple years away. Detroit will have to upgrade this position through a trade or hope that Kelly can produce more in an everyday role.

Either way, this spot looks bleak.

Midseason Grade:

F

Shortstop-Jhonny Peralta, Ramon Santiago

If Alex Avila and Justin Verlander weren't playing out of their minds, Jhonny Peralta would be the story of the first half for Detroit.

He is outperforming any reasonable expectations, hitting 14 homers, 50 rbi with a .312 batting average.

His defense has even been better than expected. Sure, he lacks ideal range for the position, but he can usually shade over towards second given the range at third base with Kelly and Inge.

Peralta should continue hitting in the second half, although it would be unfair to ask him to match his first half. But look for about 20-23 homers and 80 rbi with an average of about .285.

Ramon Santiago continues to be the jack of all trades for the Tigers. He has excellent range, rarely makes a mistake, and even will chip in a hit or two. Now if we could only teach him how to play third base!

Midseason Grade:

A-

Left Field-Brennan Boesch, Ryan Raburn, Casper Wells, Andy Dirks

This has been an odd position this year. Raburn was supposed to be the answer here, but he couldn't hit. Boesch started out on a tear, took a nosedive in the second month and then rebounded to close out the first half solidly.

Boesch has essentially laid claim to the position, and should play everyday. He is hitting .306 with a tidy .360 obp to go along with 12 home runs and 44 rbi.

The main thing for Boesch is getting on base. If he can continue his OBP, he will set the table for Cabrera and Martinez. If he has another second half slump, he will start getting challenged by Dirks and Wells.

Personally, I see him finishing the year with about 20-22 homers and 80 rbi with a .285 average, similar numbers to Peralta.

Dirks and Wells are basically mirror images of each other although Dirks hits left. That one difference gives him more value to Detroit, although both should stick around.

They are capable of a home run here or there, and hit about .250-.270. But their real value is as defensive substitutions and pitch hitters and to give Boesch an occasion day off.

Midseason Grade:

B

Centerfield-Austin Jackson, Andy Dirks

Austin Jackson has thus far been a big disappointment this season. The runner-up for the top rookie award last year started off in a huge slump and only recently has shown signs of pulling out of it. Coupled with the re-emergence of Curtis Granderson in New York, and Tigers fans are wondering if Dombrowski made a mistake.

Jackson still shows off some serious leather and is the only base stealing threat on the team. But his batting average and obp need to get better in a hurry. He is only hitting .244 and getting on base about 32% of the time. Add to that his colossal strikeouts (100 already!) and you have a leadoff hitter that is not doing his job.

In the second half, Jackson needs to take more pitches and avoid the high fastball. If he can park his average around .270 and raise his obp to about .360 the team will be in good shape.

Dirks is a solid replacement from time to time, but he also struggles to get on base at the clip needed here.

Midseason Grade:

C-

Right Field-Magglio Ordonez, Casper Wells

During the first half of last year, Ordonez was the second best hitter on the team. He was providing a huge boost to Miguel Cabrera and was one of the key reasons that the Tigers were in contention.

When he blew out his ankle, the whole season collapsed around him.

The Tigers took a gamble on Ordonez, thinking he would look a lot like the player he was last year. Sadly, he has looked more like the player from a year prior, when fans were clamoring for him to be released.

Ordonez, however, is capable of coming back. As the weather gets warmer, his ankle should continue to loosen up, and his hitting stroke will return. He is not going to get you 20 homers, but a consistent obp of around .340 and the occasional double should be enough.

But he has got to get his average back into the .270-.280 range. Otherwise, the Tigers can't justify him in the outfield where he is a liability at best, and a catastrophe at worst.

Wells has been a huge defensive upgrade at the position, and hopefully he sees more time there.

Midseason Grade:

D-

Catcher-Alex Avila, Victor Martinez

I have to admit, this is the biggest surprise to me. Avila looked awful last year, and in spring training looked lost. I thought by this point Martinez would have taken back the starting catching duties and Avila would be half way to Toledo.

But Avila has been a revelation, leading American League catchers nearly all season in average, rbi and playing some great defense behind the plate.

Avila has cooled off as of late, but is still hitting .286 with 10 homers and 46 rbi to go along with a blistering .370 obp.

I can only imagine that Avila will cool down a bit more in the second half as the heat continues to ratchet up the thermometer. But if he finishes around 18-20 homers, 70-80 rbi and an average around .280 I think everyone will be happy.

Avila is poised to be the team's catcher for a number of years going forward.

Martinez has played adequately behind the plate from time to time, but his hitting has struggled whenever he straps on the gear. Detroit has a ton of talent in the minors at this position, so look for Martinez to become the full time d.h. next year with a younger guy coming up to spell Avila.

Midseason Grade:

A

Designated Hitter-Victor Martinez, Magglio Ordonez

Dave Dombrowski has been guilty of some huge mistakes as general manager of Detroit. Signing Victor Martinez, however, is not one of them.

During the off season, Dombrowski zeroed in on Martinez and signed him to a relatively cheap deal. Tigers fans wanted Adam Dunn, and were almost a little underwhelmed by the Martinez signing.

I guess that's why Dombrowski has his job, and we don't. Dunn is hitting about .160 while Martinez should have been an All-Star.

Martinez is leading the team in hitting with a .315 batting average, although most of the year it was about .330. While catching it is only about .250, so as a d.h. he is sitting at a cool .360. Not to mention his rbi total of 50 and an obp of .360.

Martinez has been all that the Tigers hoped he would be and more, acting as huge protection for Cabrera and playing amazing baseball with runners in scoring position (.360), and even with runners in scoring position and two outs (.360).

With the bases loaded, he is hitting .600!

I think Martinez, if he stays healthy, should top about 20 homers with 90-100 rbi and a .310 average.

Magglio has been a disappointment thus far, but should bounce back in the second half.

Midseason Grade:

A

Starting Pitching-Justin Verlander

Verlander has finally put it all together and it is must see baseball. He is without question the best pitcher in the American League, and perhaps in all of baseball.

Every time he takes the mound, he is capable of a no-hitter, of which he already has one this year and a couple near misses.

If he continues the way he began, he should end up with 20-24 wins, an era hovering around 2.00 and the league lead in strikeouts.

He right now is running away with the Cy Young award.

Midseason Grade:

A+

Starting Pitching-Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, Brad Penny, Phil Coke

Max Scherzer finished last year on a tear, and begin this year much the same.

However, he has been marked by inconsistency, something that has been covered up by huge run support.

He has got to locate his secondary pitches much better, and keep hitters off base. He is capable of electric stuff, but at this point the Tigers just need consistency.

Rick Porcello had a very disappointing sophomore season, and started out slow again. He has since had a nice run of games with only a few hiccups. He too needs to locate his pitches better and especially get first pitch strikes.

The key with Porcello is his fastball. If he can locate his fastball, it perfectly sets up his sinker. He will never be a huge strikeout guy, but he is capable of a sub 3.50 era.

Penny has been pretty much what we thought he would be. He can get you about six innings and about a 4.00 era. He just has to avoid giving up those big innings. He also needs to stay healthy, so go knock on wood!

The fifth rotation spot was Coke, but he was not cut out for starting. Charlie Furbush got knocked around a couple times and so now the team has to scramble for a plan C.

Sadly, Andy Oliver has not taken off like most thought. Detroit has a few other arms in the minors that could be stop gap measures, but nothing worth jumping up and down about.

Lately, the press has floated the idea of stud minor league arm Jacob Turner being rushed up, but I think the Tigers will instead elect to settle this position through a trade. 

I wrote yesterday that Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang, Joel Pineiro, Matt Garza or Erik Bedard could be options here, and really only Garza should be expensive.

Look for this to be settle before the week is over.

Moving forward, this rotation is capable of steady play, but one pitcher needs to become the clear number two guy behind Verlander. Personally, I think Scherzer is going to figure it out.

Midseason Grade:

C-

Closer-Jose Valverde

Closers are known for being a little off-kilt. They need to be. They are last line of defense, and the only thing standing between a win and a loss.

Jose Valverde has been all that we could hope for this year. He has converted 24 saves, not blown a single one, and is sitting on a tidy 2.70 era.

Really, Papa Grande has been lights out for the competition.

The second half, he needs to avoid the let down he had last year, and just basically do his job. Look for his numbers to stay around the same, and as the intensity of the season ratchets up, Valverde should be up to the challenge.

Midseason Grade:

A

Bullpen-Ryan Perry, Daniel Schlereth, Joaquin Benoit, Al Alburquerque, Etc.

Joaquin Benoit was one of the Tigers big off season moves. He had a tremendous season with Tampa, and was thought to be the solidifying piece in the Tigers bullpen, turning a potential weakness into a strength.

Sadly, Benoit has not lived up to that in the first half.

The good news is that he is starting to figure things out, and has only allowed an earned run in one of his last 10 games. He has excellent stuff, and should be good going forward.

The seventh inning has been arguably the Tigers toughest inning this season. Ryan Perry, Al Alburquerque and Daniel Schlereth have all taken their shot at this spot, with little success between them.

Luckily for Detroit, that job was done tremendously last year by Phil Coke, and he should return there now that the starting experiment is over. I expect this to again become a strength for Detroit going forward.

Alburquerque was a revelation early on with an amazing slider. However, he struggled somewhat with his fastball and has since landed on the disabled list. If he can come back and pitch the way he did earlier, this bullpen will really start humming.

Schlereth was inconsistent and has since been demoted, and Perry has yet to figure it out at this level. His fastball is too straight, and he needs more confidence in his secondary pitches. He is truly aching for a third pitch.

David Purcey was brought over from Oakland and is just an average lefty, while Brad Thomas is the team's best long reliever. Here's hoping he doesn't have too many long innnings.

Overall, this is a bullpen that has underperformed so far, but you have got to like their chances moving forward. I predict that by mid-August, this will be one of the biggest strengths of the team.

Midseason Grade:

C-

Manager-Jim Leyland

I've got to admit, I was one of the last supporters of Leyland. It was a lonely place, with seemingly everyone second-guessing his moves.

Sadly, I can no longer be the only one rallying around the skipper. I so genuinely want to love this guy. He is an old curmudgeon that smokes like a chimney and lashes out at reporters. I love that.

But his moves are almost becoming comical. Watch the Tigers from the box score and you will scratch your head. If Magglio or Brennan Boesch are on a tear, Leyland will always sit them. If Raburn is 0-20, he will get no more than one day off. Inge is south of the Mendoza line? No problem, trot him out the next day.

It's almost as if he is playing roulette with his lineup card.

This team gets way too much rest for such a young squad. If a guy is tearing it up, play him everyday! If Raburn and Inge continue to stink up the joint, bench them indefinitely.

I just don't understand why we don't play our best nine guys everyday.

His pitching moves are not a lot better, often selecting strange replacements at strange times.

The most important thing, however, is that he avoids a second half collapse this year. If he doesn't, he will be gone. If he manages to get this team to the playoffs, he should earn another shot.

But for the love of everything good, will you please replace Gene Lamont at third? He has probably cost this team five games this year.

Midseason Grade:

D