5 Detroit Tigers MVP Candidates for 2015

Sep 6, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; A Detroit Tigers ball cap with the reflection of Kansas City Royals Kauffman Stadium in the sunglasses. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Tigers have owned the postseason hardware in first-half of the 2010s.

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Prior to Justin Verlander winning the MVP award in 2011, there had been just six other Tigers who have won the award in around 110 years of baseball. Mickey Cochrane (’34), Hank Greenberg (’35 and ’40), Charlie Gehringer (’37), Hal Newhouser (’44 and ’45), Denny McLain (’68) and Willie Hernandez (’84). (Ty Cobb technically won the award in 1911 but it was not awarded officially through MLB and the MVP award went dormant not long after until the early ’30’s)

When Miguel Cabrera won it in back-to-back years in 2012 and ’13, it marked the first time an AL team won three consecutive MVPs since Roger Maris (twice), Mickey Mantle and Elston Howard won it four straight years for the New York Yankees from 1960 to ’63.

Many are discounting the Detroit Tigers’ chances in 2015 and with that comes lowered expectations. Should a player excel on a surprise team, he could have a leg up on the MVP race.

Let’s take a look at five players who can easily win team MVP on the Tigers and, under the right circumstances, could sneak into the league MVP race.

Jun 7, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez (41) receives congratulations from third baseman Nick Castellanos (9) after scoring in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

HONORABLE MENTION

Nick Castellanos

I am expecting a very solid sophomore campaign from Nick Castellanos. He has done everything right in the offseason to get himself better defensively, but here’s the thing, he doesn’t have to be great at third base.

He can be average or adequate there and the rest of the Tigers’ infield is solid enough to raise his game enough to be successful. Where Detroit needs him to thrive is at the plate, which is why they drafted him and have moved him around on the diamond–they want that bat to live up to expectations.

Castellanos hit .259 with 11 homers and 66 RBIs with a OPS of .700. I predict those numbers to increase to .275, 20 homers and 80+ RBIs with an OPS near .780-.790. If he can exceed those numbers, he can be extremely valuable to the Tigers.

Victor Martinez

V-Mart’s roller coaster offseason went up after signing a four-year, $68 million, likely finishing his career where he wanted, with the Tigers. Then he suffered a torn medial meniscus in his left knee and the worst was feared, but the surgery was relatively minor and his timetable for return is around Opening Day.

Victor Martinez had an MVP-caliber season last year but the anti-DH stance cost him. It would have been hard for V-Mart to duplicate his efforts from a year ago had he been healthy throughout the offseason, so a league-wide MVP season would have been extremely unlikely. However, he still has the potential of being the best Detroit Tigers’ player, just like he was in 2014.

Even if he comes back on or around Opening Day, the bat speed and power likely will not be there right away. V-Mart has surprised us a lot during his tenure in Detroit so there is no reason he cannot have another solid year once he’s up and running for 2015.

Oct 3, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Detroit Tigers designated hitter J.D. Martinez (28) reacts after hitting a three-run home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the third inning of game two of the 2014 ALDS playoff baseball game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

#5: J.D. Martinez

This is a huge year for J.D. Martinez. A lot of the national media is bearish on J.D. Mart in 2014, believing that his .315 average, 23 homers, 76 RBIs and .912 OPS were an illusion and he’s incapable of repeating those numbers.

Even many Tigers’ fans are concerned. We’ve seen it many times before, especially recently with one-year phenom outfielders like Andy Dirks and Brennan Boesch.

There is a difference in Martinez and those other players, however. J.D. came from a system in which he was being underutilized and was a victim of the alleged depth of the Houston Astros’ organization. He came to Detroit and proved all the doubters wrong.

He wasn’t going to make the majors in 2014 after signing a minor league deal, they all said. His offensive explosion in Toledo wouldn’t translate to the big leagues. He wouldn’t stick around Detroit long. He would eventually cool off. All of these doubts were cast aside in J.D.’s stellar 2014 campaign.

We have often made the comparison to Jose Bautista with J.D. Mart. Bautista bounced around and was an after thought in his stops too. This is a more appropriate comparison. 

Sep 24, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) pitches in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

#4: Justin Verlander

Back when Justin Verlander was at his zenith from 2009 through 2012, when the Detroit Tigers needed him to step up, he stepped up. If they were on a losing streak, he’s always serve as the stopper and start a winning streak.

With Max Scherzer off to greener pastures (pun intended), it has never been more important for vintage J.V. to return. Though no games have been played, it looks as if he’s ready to have at it.

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Verlander has had average to poor regular seasons the last two years. During that time the role of team “stopper” belonged to Scherzer in his Cy Young winning year of 2013 and stellar 2014 season. Verlander understands now that there is no longer the ace of the Tigers staff and the “Ace-1a” of the Tigers staff–it’s all on him.

Last week when reporting to Lakeland, Verlander stated that he feels better than he has in a number of years and truly believes the Jan. 2014 surgery negatively effected his performance. He made no excuses for it but has strived to be better, working on incorporating his curveball more often.

He still plans to go after hitters like he always has, but understands that if that doesn’t work now that he’s fully healthy, he will change and adapt his game.

I’d bet on Verlander coming back strong in 2015 and if he is at all Must See J.V., he can easily be the Tigers’ best player.

Jul 18, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez (19) pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

#3: Anibal Sanchez

For the first time since their AL Central dominance began in 2011, the Tigers had to scrap and fight to win the division near the end of the season. Usually having it wrapped up a week or two in advanced, Detroit needed to win their final regular season game last year to clinch their fourth straight divisional title.

A lot of these shenanigans had to do with the loss of Anibal Sanchez two times last year, particularly down the stretch. He didn’t start the season particularly well so when he went on the DL because of a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand, it was not surprising. When he came back in May, he was one of the Tigers few bright spots during their infamous 9-19 slide.

Through the beginning of August he remained the Tigers’ most consistent starter (even more so than Scherzer and Rick Porcello who had started to cool down after an excellent start), but was removed from an August 8 game and was gone until the final series of the regular season.

The Tigers weathered the storm without him as much as possible with rookie Kyle Lobstein filling in admirably, but the team truly missed the mystique of Sanchez going every fifth day.

As we mentioned in our previous slide with Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez as the opportunity to grab the ace role for Detroit, all he needs to do for success is to stay healthy.

His 2013 year was extremely solid but was upstaged by Scherzer. He went 14-8 with an AL-best 2.57 ERA and a WHIP of 1.154. There is no reason a healthy Sanchez cannot reach those heights again and if he does, he could be the team MVP and the Tigers, as a team, would be in better shape.

Sep 12, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) at bat against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

#1 Yoenis Cespedes

Nothing says excellent season better than contract year. No matter the sport, no matter the athlete, it often seems that players have the best seasons of their professional careers in the final year of their rookie contract.

It is with that in mind that we present Yoenis Cespedes.

The main piece of the Tigers’ blockbuster trade with the Red Sox that sent Porcello to Beantown in exchange for Cespedes, Gabe Spier and Alex Wilson, Cespedes appears chomping at the bit to help his new team, and himself, succeed.

It could be a coincidence that most athletes play better in a contract year. In most cases they are actually hitting the prime of their career. This is definitely the case for the 29-year-old Cespedes who is on the fourth and final year of the deal he signed with the Oakland Athletics prior to the 2012 season as an international free agent out of Cuba.

Cespedes should play to the strengths of Comerica Park and can take extra bases on gappers. There is no reason not to believe he will be able to bat in around 100 runs, as he did while splitting time in Boston and Oakland last year. The Tigers would like to see that .260 batting average increased a bit, but there is no reason it won’t be while he is stabilized and comfortable with one team.

I anticipate the second straight All-Star appearance for Yoenis Cespedes this year and he has the tools and the chance to lead the Tigers in 2015.

Next: What Yoenis Cespedes brings to the table