Detroit Tigers Notes: Featuring The Tui Tracker

Sep 18, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Matt Tuiasosopo (18) watches as a fan catches a ball hit by Seattle Mariners right fielder Franklin Gutierrez (not pictured) for a home run in the ninth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Links

Writer’s View: The Best Players Not in the Hall of Fame – FanGraphs

• David Laurila of FanGraphs polls a sample of baseball writers across the country to get their opinions on who the best players are who haven’t been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Former Detroit Tigers Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker are both discussed by multiple writers, and both make the Top Ten of the final list.

Twitter Talk: Which Detroit Tigers pitcher will start Game 1 of ALDS? – Mlive

• Chris Iott speculates on the Tigers’ playoff rotation, whether or not Jim Leyland will be back to manage the team next year, and what to make of rookie Nick Castellanos and his chances for the playoff roster.

Tigers notes: Jose Iglesias day-to-day after suffering hand contusion – Det. Free Press

• George Sipple opens his notebook to discuss and offer quotes on Jose Iglesias’ day-to-day status, Jim Leyland’s refusal to comment on Jhonny Peralta’s future, Bruce Rondon’s tender arm, and other Tigers-related topics.

MLB Tiebreaker Playoff Chart – Bless You Boys

• Patrick OKennedy breaks down the possible tiebreaker scenarios, most of them affecting the AL Wild Card race.

The Tui Tracker

The Tui Tracker is a new (perhaps useless) invention of mine that might provide insight into the question of who will make the Tigers’ postseason roster. It provides a glimpse at September (post-roster expansion) usage and performace for the fringy guys on the active roster. The Tui Tracker gets its name from Matt Tuiasosopo, the first-half hero, who may now be in danger of losing his playoff roster spot.

It’s almost certain that two of these players will make the playoff squad, but there remains a (probably now quite small) chance that three of the four will play in October. That’s going to depend on Jhonny Peralta’s fate, but it looks like the team is preparing to use him.

GS

PA

K%

BB%

BABIP

OPS

5

27

22%

15%

0.294

0.594

Matt Tuiasosopo

4

11

55%

9%

0.000

0.091

Nick Castellanos

3

9

8%

0%

0.273

0.500

1

5

0%

0%

0.000

0.000

The number one indicator of postseason roster inclusion is probably usage rate (in this case game started and games played). Relative level of success (OPS, K%, BB%) could also factor into the final equation, but we’re dealing with small sample sizes, and Jim Leyland’s number one goal is probably to get the guys he wants on the roster into the game most often to prepare.

At the moment, it looks very much like Santiago is in and Perez is out (no real surprise there), but Tuiasosopo and Castellanos have been given nearly equal opportunity in the time since the younger has been added to the active roster. Castellanos hasn’t had a great deal of success, but Tuiasosopo has been struggling so badly that perhaps there’s a battle brewing.

Today’s Game

Max Scherzer, top AL Cy Young Candidate, takes the hill in search for assigned win number 20 against the Chicago White Sox in the opener of the Tigers’ final home series of the regular season. Andre Rienzo, a rookie and one of two Brazilian born players in MLB, will counter for the White Sox. He owns a 5.04 ERA and 5.76 FIP in nine starts (50 IP) this season for Chicago.

Playoff Picture and Other Rooting Interests

The Tigers’ magic number stands at four with nine games to play. To clinch the division at home (three games left) they’ll need some help from the Houston Astros who will send Brett Oberholtzer to the mound in Cleveland against Zach McAllister and the Indians at 7 PM ET.

Detroit is currently third in the American League, 3.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox and 1.0 games behind the Oakland Athletics. Boston hosts the Toronto Blue Jays at 7 PM ET (Jon Lester vs. Esmil Rogers), and Oakland hosts the Minnesota Twins at 10 PM ET (Bartolo Colon vs. Andrew  Albers).

Tampa Bay hosts Baltimore (7 PM ET) and Kansas City hosts Texas (8 PM ET) in games that don’t affect the Tigers but nonetheless carry the utmost in AL Wild Card implications.