Detroit Tigers Leave Brennan Boesch Off Playoff Roster

September 1, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers designated hitter Brennan Boesch (26) at bat against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

The Detroit Tigers announced their playoff roster for the ALDS versus the Oakland Athletics earlier this morning. As promised, Jim Leyland opted to take 14 hitters and 11 pitchers, but when he revealed his choices, one somewhat surprising player was left off: Brennan Boesch.

It’s not really a surprise based on how Leyland used his players down the stretch. Boesch’s only start between September 17 and the day they clinched the division, October 1, was one doubleheader game versus the Twins. He didn’t even appear in a game in that stretch as a pinch hitter. I had thought Leyland would use his somewhat expanded bench to keep Boesch’s power potential on the team, but it appears that he really has fallen completely out of favor with the Tigers’ manager.

Here’s the hitters: Alex Avila, Gerald Laird, Prince Fielder, Omar Infante, Jhonny Peralta, Miguel Cabrera, Ramon Santiago, Danny Worth, Quintin Berry, Andy Dirks, Austin Jackson, Avisail Garcia, Delmon Young, and Don Kelly.

And the pitchers: Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, Drew Smyly, Phil Coke, Octavio Dotel, Al Alburquerque, Joaquin Benoit, and Jose Valverde.

The surprising addition is Danny Worth — he appears to be redundant with Ramon Santiago — but Jim Leyland is choosing to use his bench for defensive purposes rather than hoping for additional pop.

The notable omission on the pitching side is Brayan Villarreal. He had a nice year in the bullpen overall (2.63 ERA), but he had struggled down the stretch (ERA’s over 4.00 in both August and September/October), including bouts of wildness in important games.