Detroit Tigers: These Are Their Five Core Players for 2016

J.D. Martinez

Early in the season it was looking like Martinez was a one-hit wonder early in the season. His batting average dropped to a low of .216 early in May. He was putting too much pressure on his own shoulders with Victor Martinez on the disabled list and was trying to pull everything. When he began taking the ball to all fields again his batting average and power levels soared into the stratosphere.

He finished the season with a slash line of .282/.344/.535 with a career high in home runs with 38 and RBI’s with 102.

In the field, he’s another positive player on defense, though not as highly rated as McCann or Kinsler. Martinez was third among American League right fielders in put-outs and second in assists.

Martinez won’t be a free agent until 2018 so he’ll be at the core of the Detroit Tigers for a long time.