Detroit Tigers: Young Guys & Journeymen Getting It Done

One of the most consistent young players on the Tigers squad is Dominic Ficociello.

The 6’4″ corner infielder has played in every spring training game. In fact, he has played in more games than anyone else with the exception of Dixon Machado on the Spring Training squad. His current slash is .216/.293/.486 with an OPS of .779. He has three home runs and eight RBIs. His home run total puts him in second place after Justin Upton (4) and his RBI total puts him in third behind Upton (11) and Nick Castellanos (9).

Ficociello has played 49 innings at first base while Cabrera has been with the Venezuelan WBC team. In those innings, he has a perfect fielding percentage and a range of 4.91. He has also manned third base in 41 innings. There, he also has a perfect fielding percentage and a range of 0.75. For comparison purposes during Spring Training, Castellanos has a range factor of 1.27 and Cabrera has a range factor of 4.00. At first base, Ficociello has been involved in two double plays.

Ficociello has a few things going for him. First off, he is a switch hitter. He is also physically fit and has extremely long legs that help him get to the bases quickly. He’s got quick hands at the plate and looks confident when he’s up to bat. He is 24 years old and has some room to build muscle on his tall frame. With a bit more muscle, he could hit with more power and could get more attention from the front office.

If Miggy is out for any extended period of time, Ficociello might be an option to fill in for the reigning Triple Crown King.

Alex Presley is not an unknown to Detroit Tigers fans.

In 17 spring training games, he has shown up to play. His current slash is an impressive .381/.458/.761 with an OPS of 1.220. He has two home runs and three RBIs. While Presley is not in the running for the spot at center field, he has shown that he still has some pop in his bat and speed in his feet.

Presley will be a fantastic player in Toledo in 2017, especially if he can keep up his pace. It is highly unlikely that he will show up in Detroit, but it is nice to know that there is an experienced outfielder who can get on base and make plays. As a journeyman, he has seen time in the Big Leagues with Detroit as well as the Milwaukee Brewers, the Houston Astros, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Minnesota Twins.

His two spring training home runs have come against the Miami Marlins and the New York Yankees. He hit one off of Dan Straily and Caleb Frare. While this isn’t quite like hitting one off of Chris Sale or Max Scherzer, only three other Tigers have two home runs in spring training, too.

Presley has fared well in the outfield, too. He has 57 innings with no errors. He usually steps in when J.D. Martinez has finished for the day and he has done well in J.D.’s place.

One player who has been fun to watch in spring training is the third catcher, John Hicks.

Even though his slash is less than impressive, he has potential. His current slash is .143/.143/.333 with an OPS of .476. What is impressive about him is the infrequency of his strikeouts. In 21 at-bats, he has 3 strikeouts. The majority of his outs have been strong hits deep to the outfield. Unfortunately, they have gone right to the outfielders. He has a double and a home run to his name in spring training.

It is clear that he is a power hitter, who just needs a bit of tweaking. Once the adjustment is made, Hicks could be a serious contender at the plate. His biggest problem is James McCann and Alex Avila. McCann has a stronghold on the starting catcher spot and Avila – well…he’s got that dad of his. It is important to note that Avila’s numbers at the plate are not much better than Hicks’. Avila has a slash of .185/.333/.185 with an OPS of .519. In his 27 at-bats, he has struck out 12 times.

The 27-year-old catcher is an imposing figure. He is 6’2″ and weighs 230. He does bat right-handed, which is another strike against him. But, if he can get that bat going, he could be a quality replacement if either of the veteran catchers is out for an extended period of time.

Today against the Orioles, Hicks had a good day at the plate. He had two at-bats scoring a run on his own and a pair of RBIs. He needs to keep this up in the final third of spring training.

Hicks has caught in 36 innings during spring training. He has a 1.000 fielding percentage. He has allowed one stolen base and caught two trying to steal. His range factor is 4.00. For comparison purposes, McCann’s range is 5.62 and Avila’s is 5.36.

Even though he is not considered a “young guy,” Andrew Romine has had one outstanding spring training.

His swing has changed and he has been hitting better than ever before. In his 47 at-bats, he has two home runs, three doubles, and a triple. Only one other Tiger has a triple: Jason Krizan.

Romine’s current slash is a mighty .319/.327/.553 with an OPS of .880. Along with these impressive numbers, he has also stolen two bases – which is an oddity in the world of the Detroit Tigers. Romine currently leads the team in runs scored, with eight.

Romine has spent time at several positions. He has 35 innings at third base and 39 innings at short stop. He hasn’t spent much time in the outfield, but in his 11 innings in center field, he made three outs. In his time on defense, he has a perfect fielding percentage.

With Romine’s strong spring training, he is clearly showing that he does deserve to be on the 25-man roster when the team heads north. His speed, defensive skill, and switch-hitting ability makes him valuable. With the questions about center field, he could be a viable contender – but he is certainly useful in the infield when Castellanos and Jose Iglesias need a day off.

Next: Tigers Injuries Causing Trouble Already

While the Tigers are not known for having a plethora of prospects, spring training has shown that there is some depth. With youngsters and part-time players filling in for the veterans, the Tigers have seen that there is some hope for the future.