At the Quarter Pole: Tigers Infield Leads the Offense

Yesterday, Zac offered up grades on the Detroit Tigers starting pitchers, John rated the bullpen, and Chris took on the management. Later on, Jay will chime in with his grades of the outfielders. So make sure to check back as we round out the grades.

The Tigers’ offense has really come on in recent weeks, and a big reason for the boost in offense has been the play of some of the infielders. The top four Tiger hitters in wOBA (and OPS) coming into play Monday all have primary defensive positions in the infield.

Miguel Cabrera — A
He’s the best hitter on the team, and certainly one of the best hitters in the American League. He’s going to be an All-Star again, and he’s going to be in the MVP discussion again this year.

Victor Martinez — A
The fact that he had to miss some time due to injury could have hurt his grade here, but he’s made the most of it since his return, and you really can’t argue with his seasonal batting line. An OPS above .900 will always grade out well.

Alex Avila — A-
I expected Alex to hit like an average catcher, or maybe a bit above average this season, but I would have never expected what he’s done so far.

Jhonny Peralta — A-
Jhonny’s hitting the ball much better than any of us could have hoped for, and his defense hasn’t been an issue at shortstop. A solid season all around.

Ramon Santiago — B
Ramon doesn’t hit a ton (although he hits enough), but he’s one of the best middle infielders in the game defensively whether that’s at short or second.

Scott Sizemore — B-
This is a provisional grade. He hasn’t been up with the big club very long, but he’s hit like a big leaguer should. The defense has been suspect at times, but I like what I’m seeing so far.

Will Rhymes — D-
Will’s bat just never really got going once the season began, and his glove just isn’t good enough to make up the difference.

Brandon Inge — F
Brandon’s bat has been among the worst of the full-time American League players (but still better than Carl Crawford for what it’s worth). There’s also evidence that his stellar defensive abilities are beginning to forsake him.

Omir Santos — INC