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Detroit Tigers 2016 Season Review: Alex Wilson
Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila brought in three relievers to bolster the bullpen ahead of last season. However one of the team’s best bullpen arms was returning reliever Alex Wilson.
Detroit Tigers reliever Alex Wilson has outlasted the two other pieces acquired with him from Boston (Yoenis Cespedes and prospect Gabe Speier), quietly establishing himself as one of baseball’s most effective relievers.
He won’t blow anyone away with his fastball or miss a ton of bats (8.9 swinging strike percentage), but it is clear that Wilson knows how to get batters out.
The reliever has registered ERAs under three in each of his first two seasons, including a 2.96 number last season. While Wilson’s 4.33 SIERA and 4.58 xFIP aren’t necessarily anything to write home about, he did pitch exceptionally well after some initial struggles.
An early, 11-game stretch in May saw the reliever’s ERA balloon to 11.17 after being tagged for 18 hits, 12 earned runs, five walks and two home runs in just 9.2 innings pitched.
However, following that span, Wilson was back to pitching like the reliever who was Brad Ausmus’ only reliable option in 2014.
The former Red Sox pitcher notched a 1.95 ERA over the final 55.1 innings of the season, providing Ausmus with a reliable arm to turn to when Justin Wilson and Shane Greene struggled.
Stats of Note
Some of Wilson’s run prevention numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, but that didn’t stop him from providing value.
The reliever finished 25th in the league among relievers in innings pitched, while also coming in 47th in WAR amongst relief pitchers. Finishing behind Wilson in terms of WAR were the likes of Hector Rondon, Rodriguez, Tony Watson, Pedro Baez, Jeanmar Gomez, Kevin Siegrist and George Kontos.
Wilson also finished third on the team in win probability added, coming in just behind Rodriguez and Greene. His 1.07 WPA ranked ahead of high-profile Craig Kimbrel and Dellin Betances.
Sixth Inning Dominance
Despite serving as a setup option, the right-hander excelled when pitching in the sixth inning of games. Wilson allowed opposing batters to log a mere .173 on-base percentage and a .416 OPS. His ERA in the sixth inning finished at 0.75.
Success Against Minnesota
In addition to being virtually unhittable in the sixth inning, Wilson’s dominance extended to games against the Minnesota Twins. The reliever allowed just two hits and a walk in his 28 plate appearances against Twins batters. That equates to a .077 batting average and a .107 on-base percentage.
Ballparks Splits
Of the 15 ballparks Wilson pitched in, he only allowed a run in six of them. The righty held the opposition scoreless in nine different stadiums. Those nine included Nationals Park, Safeco Field, Yankee Stadium, Rogers Centre, Target Field, Minute Maid Park, US Cellular Field, Fenway Park and Angel Stadium.
Potential Role in 2016
Over the course of the season, Detroit’s bullpen shifted around quite a bit. At first, Justin Wilson and Mark Lowe were Francisco Rodriguez’ setup relievers. Greene soon replaced Lowe, before Bruce Rondon and Alex Wilson stepped in.
As it stands, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some combination of Rondon and Wilson pitch the eighth inning next season for the Detroit Tigers.
Given his effectiveness down the stretch and the Tigers mission to start shedding payroll, the reliever is almost a lock to stay. Wilson will only enter arbitration for the first time this offseason, and is still under team control through the 2020 season.
Closing Games?
If Detroit elects to move on from current closer Francisco Rodriguez in an attempt to save money, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Wilson garner some save opportunities. Bruce Rondon and Joe Jimenez are obvious candidates to close, but the Tigers may not want put either young pitcher in the ninth inning just yet.
Wilson does own a career 1.48 ERA in the ninth inning.
Next: Six Young Infielders Tigers Should Acquire
The Tigers could also use Alex Wilson in a similar manner in which Cleveland utilizes Andrew Miller. Wilson has thrown multiple innings before, even starting a game in 2014, so he’s shown he can handle the extended stints.