At The (Second) Quarter Pole: The Outfield

The Tigers are officially half way through the 2011 season. With that in mind it’s officially report card time again. Once again, I’ve been assigned the duties of grading the Tigers outfielders. This time around I’ll be breaking down the second quarter performances. Rookies Casper Wells and Andy Dirks will be covered in a separate post later today.

Without further adieu here is my evaluation of the Tigers outfielders at the quarter pole…

Ryan Raburn

GRADE: D

Sure he’s maned second the majority of the time but he’s listed as an outfielder so allow me to roast Reighbourne. Through 95 at-bats, Ryan Raburn boasts a less than stellar .200 batting average. His biggest hit last quarter was a game changing grand slam off of Jake Peavy. Regardless, the defense is still suspect and he struck out 30 times. Sound familiar? Yep, it’s a typical second quarter for Raburn. Hopefully the legendary second half Raburn returns to balance things out. If not, the Raburn deal seems like a bust. Sure it wasn’t a ton of money but statistics showed us that this would happen. Nonetheless, the Tigers once again counted on a role player to step up and produce in a full time role. Also see Marcus Thames. Second base would be a logical area to upgrade at the deadline. Don’t hold your breath though, the Tigers love them some Rayburn!

Magglio Ordoñez

GRADE: INCOMPLETE

Since coming off the DL Maggs is batting .268 in 41 at-bats. Lost in that data is the handful of hits that he was robbed of too. He’s hitting the ball hard and should easily raise his batting average over the next half. Due to the incredibly small sample size it seems pointless to grade Magglio.

Don Kelly

GRADE: C (ish)

Over the last quarter, Kelly batted .253 with 1 double, 1 triple and 3 homers in 87 at-bats. The jack of all trades, master of none has actually played decent defense too. His versatility continues to be his biggest asset to the club. Taking things a step further Kelly pitched a hitless third of an inning last night. He’s not my favorite Tiger but Kelly has certainly done his part thus far.

Brennan Boesch

GRADE: A

Boesch hit .315 with 11 doubles, 8 homers and 20 RBI in 146 at-bats last quarter. His 10 walks to 27 strikeouts in that span is a step in the right direction too. The defense can be scary at times but the bat makes up for it. Knock Boesch all you want, he has stepped his game up this season though. His production has given Detroit a solid game changing middle of the lineup. Hopefully his success continues the second half.

OF Austin Jackson

GRADE: B-

A-Jax hit .265 with 6 doubles, 4 triples and a homer in 155 at-bats last quarter. The strikeouts continue to be a thorn in his side–42 last quarter. Regardless, Jackson continues to to do the small things and provide above average defense in center field. He’s not an ideal lead-off hitter but Jackson continues to be an asset for the Tigers.

Overall

Beyond Boesch’s bat and Jackson’s defense the outfield remains mediocre. With the deadline approaching you can’t help but wonder if the Tigers might try to pluck a corner outfielder with some pop. With Maggs healthy and starting to heat up and the production from guys like Dirks and Wells the Tigers will probably stand pat and address other areas though.

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