Me and fellow writer Benji Kramer decided to collaborate to give our takes on what the Tigers, and certain players on the team, will accomplish this season, as well as going over what we thought was going to happen, what actually happened, and what we think will happen in the near future every 15 games.
So without further ado, here is our pre-cap of the 2020 Detroit Tigers season.
With the Detroit Tigers coming off of a season that gave them the worst record in the MLB, their silver lining was the 1st pick in the MLB draft, which they used to select Spencer Torkelson.
Even in this 60-game slate where quite frankly anything can happen, more questions revolve around their new prospects rather than what their record will be.
However, even though this is the case, the first question is what the Tigers’ record will be and why?
Richard’s Take: Since injuries are a common problem in the Tigers organization late in the season, I see the Tigers finishing with a record of about 21-39 in this shortened season.
Even last year the Tigers had a decent record through 40 games, so I think the Tigers will show that they can be a dangerous team in the future.
Benji’s Take: The Tigers have gotten much better on the offensive end, bringing in players like C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop as big-time upgrades, and you can still have some hope that Christian Stewart will finally hit consistently.
As far as pitching goes, I expect ups and downs. I think you’ll see Mize, Manning, and Skubal at some point this season, but you can expect them to get knocked around a bit. Hopefully, Spencer Turnbull can take a step forward as well.
The Tigers will get a few good breaks but in the end, they will be a solid amount under the .500 mark. My final record prediction for the Tigers is 26-34.
Which prospect will have the biggest impact in 2020 for the Tigers?
Richard’s Take: Casey Mize definitely. The dude threw a no-hitter in Double-A and has serious potential. Even though it’s harder to develop pitchers than hitters, Casey Mize is a guy who I can see stepping into the 3rd-4th spot in the starting rotation to begin the season.
Benji’s Take: As I said in my last paragraph, the young pitching prospects will get knocked around a bit, and that’s just what happens to young pitchers. I’m not saying none of them will be decent, but I don’t see them being great in year one.
I believe Isaac Parades will come in and make an impact early. Dawe Lugo and Jamier Candelario have proven that they can’t hit and aren’t part of the future. I truly believe that Parades can come in, hit .260, and play solid defense at third.
A quick short question to end the article; what will Spencer Torkelson’s batting average be this season?
Richard’s Take: .261 seems like a reasonable number for a guy that hit around .337 at ASU, so I’ll go with that in this shortened season.
Benji’s Take: Personally, I would be utterly shocked if we saw Spencer Torkelson this season. He just isn’t ready and it would hurt his development and confidence.
Photo Credit: Mark Cunningham / Getty Images
