2014: What is to Come?

Since Spring Training has just started, there are always many predictions that come with a new season. Here are some predictions for the Detroit Tigers 2014 season.

Drew Smyly will be a great starter

Drew had lost his starting spot to Rick Porcello in the 2013 pitching rotation. He moved to the Tigers bullpen, and apart from a few bad outings, did a great job out of the bullpen. With Doug Fister now playing for the Nationals, there is now a spot in the rotation for the left hander. He has done well in spot starts for the last 2 seasons, and will be a great addition to the starting rotation.

Max Scherzer will continue to be a force

While Max may not have as many wins as he did in 2013, he will continue to be a great part of the starting staff for the Tigers. His consistency was an issue in 2011 and 2012, but Scherzer has the confidence now to continue to rack up strikeouts and win games.  Winning the Cy Young in 2013 will be just the beginning of Max Scherzer’s coming out party as one of the great pitchers in baseball.

Miguel Cabrera will go for 3 in a row

Back-to-back AL MVP Miguel Cabrera is not going anywhere. He will continue to dominate the American League as he has done in the past. In 2013, he outplayed most of the AL with an injury.  In the very least, he will lead the league in most categories, and be in the discussion for his third straight MVP.

Teams will actually look for the Tigers to steal bases

With the additions of Ian Kinsler and Rajai Davis, the Tigers are now a team that other teams will give a second glance to on the base paths. Austin Jackson and Jose Iglesias can also steal bases, which is a lot more than what the Tigers are used to. When former manager Jim Leyland was asked about how slow the Tigers were on the base paths, he responded with “Well, the idea is that our guys are going to be trotting the bases.” The Tigers have added a new dimension to their game that will help them win games, and speed can prevent outs and stretch singles into doubles.

The Detroit Tigers will win their 4^th straight AL Central Championship

There is no question that the Detroit Tigers are still the best team in the AL central. While Cleveland and Kansas City have gotten considerably better, they are still no match for the Tigers. Cleveland will take a step back in 2014, as they need better starting pitching. The team that will give the Tigers the most trouble this year is the Kansas City Royals. They have greatly bolstered their pitching staff, they have a great bullpen, and they have a core of young guys that are good players. Alas, the Tigers still have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, great veteran presence on the field, and 30 years seems like the time to win it all, which is right now. The Tigers have also improved in some areas they were lacking in past years, such as speed on the base paths, which means they can bring something different to the table.