Detroit Tigers: Three More Minor League Players Who Can Help

Detroit Tigers players have struggled at times this season to win games. With Steven Moya recently called up, Detroit could look for more reinforcements from the minors.

Detroit Tigers fans have seen a number of players get off to excellent starts. Through May 12^th, Nick Castellanos is hitting .378. That number leads the American League. Baltimore’s Manny Machado is the next closest at .359. What’s more, Castellanos also ranks tied for third in the American League with 28 RBI.

The 24-year-old isn’t alone either.

Victor Martinez comes in third behind Castellanos and Machado in terms of the top batting averages in the American League. Additionally, six different batters—Castellanos, Victor Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, J.D. Martinez and Saltalamacchia—have driven in at least 14 runs.

On the pitching side, Jordan Zimmermann has been superb, posting a 5-2 record and a 1.50 ERA in seven starts. In the bullpen, Justin Wilson, Kyle Ryan and Alex Wilson have all shown well this season.

By that same token, a number of players have struggled.

Anthony Gose is hitting .209, while Justin Upton’s batting average sits at a mere .221. Bench options Mike Aviles, Tyler Collins and Andrew Romine are all hitting under .140, while James McCann has gotten off to a slow start. The backstop’s batting average is just .108.

On the mound, Mike Pelfrey, Anibal Sanchez and Shane Greene haven’t exactly been the gold standard where starting pitchers are concerned. Entering Thursday, all three had ERAs over 5.80. In fact, of the trio, only Sanchez has an ERA under six.

With all the struggles, Detroit is starting to look outside the box for solutions. Brad Ausmus has shifted the lineup around, hitting J.D. Martinez second and Justin Upton fifth or sixth.

The latest change was the promotion of top prospect Steven Moya. The slugging outfielder started in left field on Wednesday, with Upton shifting to center field. Whether this sticks remains to be seen, but the Tigers are clearly looking at a number of options.

Just like Moya, there are a number of players in the minor leagues who could give the Tigers a shot in the arm. Here are a few of them.