Detroit Tigers: 5 reasons to still watch in 2015 (VIDEOS)

Sep 25, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Al Alburquerque (62) gets champagne dropped on him during a celebration of winning the American League Central Division Championship at Target Field. The Tigers won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

#5: It Ain’t Over ’til it’s Over!

So it’s a long-shot, and that is the reason that the Detroit Tigers ended up selling in the first-place, but the team is far from mathematically eliminated from the postseason.

Heading into Monday’s off-day, the Tigers were 3.5-games behind the Minnesota Twins for the final wild-card spot. That’s the good news. The bad news is that there are four teams between them and Minnesota for that spot.

That’s a tall order, but nothing out of the realm of possibility in the final two months of the season.

You could argue that the Tigers do have some control over their destiny in that the only team they do not play in front of them for the wild-cards are the Baltimore Orioles.

They face the wild-card leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (home Aug. 25-27), Toronto Blue Jays (away Aug. 28-30), Tampa Bay Rays (home Sept. 7-9) and Rangers (home Aug. 21-23 and away Sept. 28-30).

They also face the Twins six more times and the team right behind them in the standings, the Chicago White Sox, six more times as well.

Let’s be real here, however. If the Tigers couldn’t really compete with who they traded, how will they compete without them? Well, something can be said about the pressure being off and lowered expectations. It can make the players stop pressing and just have fun while playing the role of spoiler.

It’s the mindset of “who gives a shi-, let’s go out there and kick some as-!”

You’ve been seeing it from the players a lot, including this from J.D. Martinez after Sunday’s victory.

That pressure being off and lowered expectations can also be applied to fans as well. Comerica Park used to be a boisterous, ruckus place when the Tigers were up and coming in 2006, 2007, 2009. Since their divisional domination began in 2011, it has been a library. This is because fans have accepted nothing less than perfection from their teams.

We’ve also seen division clinchers, MVPs, Cy Youngs, ALDS, pennants, World Series–so a bases loaded situation in the third inning of a May 21st game may not excite fans here as it does in say, Houston, with fans of a franchise unaccustomed to success in recent years.

With the reboot, fans can sit back, relax and enjoy the game of baseball. It would be unexpected if these guys had success, so why not cheer them on in an attempt to do the unthinkable?

It may not happen. It probably won’t happen. It is almost certain to not happen, but just be loud and have fun. You never know what might happen.

Next: Iggy

Jul 22, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias (1) makes a throw to first for an out in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

#4: Jose Iglesias

It is rare when people pay attention to defense. Baseball, at least the last few generations, has been offense first–you know the whole “chicks dig the long ball” mindset. So it is rare these days when fans will say “I’d pay just to watch him play defense.”

That is what fans have said about Jose Iglesias.

He is not going anywhere. The Detroit Tigers are building around Iggy as part of their core. Healthy this year (knock on wood) we’ve been able to truly see his greatness from Game 1 to Game 1whateverweareonrightnow for the first time since his arrival here mid year 2013.

Words don’t do Iglesias justice, so let’s look at the plays.

Next: J.D. Mart Go Boom

Jul 30, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez (28) hits a two run double during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

#3: J.D. Martinez

For years we talked about the scary specter of the Detroit Tigers future, but the aging core has quietly been replaced with exciting youngsters.

See the last entry on the dynamic Jose Iglesias, who was theoretically brought to Detroit as insurance for Jhonny Peralta‘s pending PED suspension in 2013. Yet it was clear Dave Dombrowski and the Tigers had no intentions of bringing back Peralta, suspension or not.

So they went out and got one of the best and most entertaining young shortstops in the game to hold down the fort at that position for the better part of a decade at least.

During that ensuing off-season, the Tigers tried to work out a deal with the Houston Astros to bring a young but underachieving slugger to the franchise in J.D. Martinez. An agreeable trade could not be worked out, but a few short months later Martinez fell in their laps free of charge.

Since Martinez came to the Tigers he has been perhaps the most consistent offensive player. Miguel Cabrera struggled with inconsistency through injuries last year and Victor Martinez has done the same this year. That has opened the door for teams to plan around J.D. Mart’s bat more than anyone else.

He is hitting for average, power and driving in runs. He hits homers, many in big spots to tie or win games.

Even when he is supposedly hobbled, like on Sunday, he does this:

J.D. Martinez is one of the big reasons to continue to watch the Tigers this season as he matures and gets even better.

Next: Once in a Generation Miggy

Jun 26, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) hits a double during the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. The Tigers won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

#2: Miguel Cabrera

Years from now when our grandchildren live and die with the trials and tribulations of the 2052 Detroit Tigers, we will tell the tale of Miguel Cabrera.

Whenever Miggy steps to the plate, something incredible can happen.  The comparisons to Hank Aaron can grow tiresome because they are used so often, but it really tells you something about the skills of Cabrera and his impact in the game both now and well into the future.

Betsided

We’ve often lamented the fact that Tigers’ players continually get screwed out of the Hall-of-Fame, but if Miggy’s career ended at the end of this article, he would be enshrined in Cooperstown in 2020 without question.

Cabrera has been hitting and fielding and getting ready to come back from his 6-8 week calf strain. In about 10 days we will reach the front end of that six-week window, but with the Tigers’ seemingly out of it for this season some believe the Tigers will, or should, ease Cabrera back in.

It’s hard to argue with that logic as we’ve seen the struggles of V-Mart from his various injuries this year, but when he’s ready to come back, Miggy is a guy that can put this team on his back to the finish.

And even if he can’t, he’s still entertaining as hell.

Next: Is the Future Bright?

Aug 2, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Daniel Norris (44) pitches during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

#1: A Glimpse of the Future

Sunday was a good day for the Detroit Tigers’ future as Daniel Norris pitched a great game in his first effort for his new team.

This is a kid who has very minimal big league experience, has not pitched in MLB since April, made an incredible diving play and cruised through one of the toughest lineups in baseball in the Baltimore Orioles. He looked like a seasoned veteran and someone the Tigers will be relying upon for years to come.

Down on the farm in Erie, JaCoby Jones made his presence felt with an incredible performance with three home runs to help the SeaWolves win their game. Not only is that impressive but one homer went to left field, one to center, and one to right!

With a week or two like that, Jones may be promoted to Toledo for the minor leagues final two weeks and then perhaps brought up to Detroit in the roster expansion on September 1.

Now they won’t always have great days, there will be growing pains and we’ve seen great debuts here tarnished by diminishing returns, so we won’t buy 2016 World Series tickets just yet,

Certainly we as fans would rather have the team getting ready for a playoff run in September,  but for the first time we will likely see September call-ups get a very serious look on a (probably) non-contending team.

Some of the new pieces in the organization may get a look in September while the ones that have been around for a longtime, like former #1 prospect (before the addition of Norris) Steven Moya, will get some time to see how they have evolved in the last year.

Sunday’s game in Baltimore was one of the most enjoyable games of the season. There was minimal bullpen interaction, a dominating start, good defense and hot hitting. These types of games were rare for the pre-rebooted Tigers.

Now with the reboot, and the pressure being off, perhaps they might be a little more common.

Next: MCB TigerTalk, Looking to the future