Do Tigers supporters need to be concerned about these players?. A.J. Hinch’s Reply…

Based on their spring training statistics, these 13 Detroit Tigers should be concerned.

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Do Tigers supporters need to be concerned about these players?

DETROIT – I know: It’s spring training. The numbers usually don’t matter. But sometimes they do.

The Detroit Tigers are having a very successful spring in terms of team performance, with a 15-8 record that ranks second behind only the Baltimore Orioles in Grapefruit League play.

And while many of the team’s major contributors — like Riley Greene, Tarik Skubal, and Parker Meadows — have gotten off to hot starts, others aren’t having quite as much fun down in Lakeland.

Let’s take a look at some of the players who are struggling and decide how much we’re actually worried.

Akil Baddoo

  • Spring stats: 3-for-22 (.136) with 2 walks and 12 strikeouts (.406 OPS).

His first year with the Tigers, Baddoo was amazing in the spring and really good in the regular season. Then he was good in the spring and bad in the regular season. So what should we expect now that he’s bad in the spring?

Baddoo was already facing a steep uphill battle to make the roster since there are three lefty-hitting outfielders in the primary rotation. But it’s starting to feel like he’s going to drop out of the picture altogether.

  • Worry level: 8/10.

Javier Baez

  • Spring stats: 2-for-29 (.069) with 1 walk and 11 strikeouts (.163 OPS).

I don’t typically care much about spring training stats. But they’re hard to ignore when players struggle in areas that were already concerns coming in.

Baez is the perfect example.

Tigers fans have only known Baez as a bad hitter, and that’s primarily due to a horrifying lack of plate discipline. That’s exactly what we’ve seen again this month.

No player swung and missed more than Baez last season, and I find it hard to believe anyone has done so more in March. I mean, Baez’s OPS would be disastrous even if it was a batting average.

  • Worry level: 10/10.

Beau Brieske

  • Spring stats: 9.2 innings, 5 strikeouts, 2 walks, 0.00 ERA, 0.31 WHIP.

It’s really hard for me to be worried about a pitcher in spring training based on stats. If his velocity is way down or his stuff doesn’t look as sharp, that’s one thing, but it’s hard to rely on small sample size stats when one swing of the bat could be the difference between a perfect ERA and a disastrous one.

On top of that, how can we be worried about a pitcher who has allowed three measly base runners in 9.2 innings? I’m not, but still: We should address the strikeouts.

Brieske struggled to get whiffs last season, even though he succeeded overall in his first test as a reliever. His stuff looks electric again this spring, but he’s only struck out about one batter every two innings.

Brieske has proven he can be effective without big strikeout numbers, but if he’s to become an elite reliever, that will have to change.

  • Worry level: 2/10.

Mark Canha

  • Spring stats: 6-for-29 (.207) with 3 walks and 9 strikeouts (.600 OPS).

Tigers fans who haven’t followed Canha’s career probably aren’t very impressed to this point in the spring. He’s not hitting for any power, and the plate discipline has been shaky.

But the Tigers acquired Canha for one reason: to get on base. And that’s something he’s done reliably for a very long time. Sure, he’s 35 years old now, but it’s going to take a lot more than 32 spring plate appearances to cause concern.

  • Worry level: 2/10.

Andrew Chafin

  • Spring stats: 4 innings, 8 strikeouts, 0 walks, 6.75 ERA, 0.75 WHIP.

The last time Tigers fans saw Chafin in the Old English D, he was posting a 2.83 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while striking out 67 batters across 57.1 innings. But he was bad last season, so there’s something left to prove.

Chafin has allowed a pair of homers in his four single-inning appearances, and as a result, his ERA is an inflated 6.75. But the rest of the numbers are excellent — two strikeouts per inning and a WHIP of 0.75.

Although Chafin appears to be in fantastic shape this spring, he most likely won’t be as good as he was in 2022.

Level of worry: 1/10.
Flaherty Jack
8.2 innings, 11 strikeouts, 4 walks, 5.19 ERA, and 1.04 WHIP are the springtime figures.
On March 7th, Flaherty pitched a truly awful inning against the Yankees. He gave up an infield single, two walks, a sacrifice fly, a double, and a third walk to begin the game. His spring training workload is quite impressive; in 8.1 innings, he has given up just two runs on three hits and one walk.

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