Detroit Tigers Rank at the Top in Divisional Power Rankings After First Week

Detroit Tigers players bounced back for a win on Monday against Boston. The result game the team a 4-2 record, good for second-best in the division. Detroit sits atop MCB’s first divisional power rankings.

Detroit Tigers fans have seen the team get off to an encouraging start so far in 2017.

After just missing the playoffs in 2016, the Tigers are back with more-or-less the same team.

There were a few slight changes before Opening Day from the 2016 roster.

Cameron Maybin was flipped to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for pitching prospect Victor Alcantara.

Meanwhile, most of the bench unit—Casey McGehee, Erick Aybar and Jarrod Saltalamacchia—departed in free agency.

The Tigers also parted ways with expensive veterans Mark Lowe and Mike Pelfrey.

Lowe and Pelfrey both struggled in their respective first seasons in the Motor City last season. The duo continued to allow runs in Spring Training and were eventually cut.

Otherwise, the Tigers roster is extremely similar.

Essential veterans Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler weren’t traded, as general manager Al Avila kept the band together for another run at that elusive World Series trophy.

Those players have helped the Detroit Tigers get off to a promising start.

Entering Tuesday, here’s where they rank in Motor City Bengals’ first division power rankings of the season.

#5 Kansas City Royals
Record: 2-5
Run Differential: -11
Who They’ve Beat: Houston Astros (Twice)
Who Beat Them: Minnesota Twins (Three-Game Sweep), Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics (Each Once)

It is still incredibly early in the season, so who these teams have won and lost against doesn’t carry as much weight.

However, Kansas City didn’t get off to the best start as they suffered a three-game sweep to the Minnesota Twins on the road to begin the season.

The Twins may have a better record at the moment, but Kansas City has a significantly more talented roster on paper.

For reference, Minnesota checked in at 28^th on MCB’s early-season power rankings. By comparison, Kansas City ranked 19^th.

The Royals rebounded with a series win in Houston, as the team took the first two games against a quality Astros team.

However, Kansas City dropped the team’s home opener to the Oakland Athletics.

Most Valuable Player So Far: Salvador Perez

The veteran catcher has so far mashed four home runs, while hitting .286 with a 1.025 OPS entering Monday.

While the catcher only has four RBI, he’s also scored five runs.

Least Valuable Player So Far: Brandon Moss

At this point, a player struggling isn’t as significant of a concern as if the same player was on a continued cold streak through mid-July.

That being said, Brandon Moss hasn’t gotten off to the best start in Kansas City. The former St. Louis Cardinals slugger has hit just one home run in 21 plate appearances this season.

So far, that’s been his only hit.

He does have five walks, which somewhat offsets his struggles at the plate.

However, the Royals will certainly expect better power numbers as the season progresses.

#3 Cleveland
Record: 3-3
Run Differential: -7
Who They’ve Beat: Texas Rangers (Three-Game Sweep)
Who Beat Them: Arizona Diamondbacks (Three-Game Sweep)

On one hand, Cleveland did well to open the season with a sweep of the Rangers in Texas.

On the other hand, the defending American League were shellacked by the Arizona Diamondbacks in two of the three games in the desert.

Arizona is by no means a bad team, but Cleveland should be taking care of business against the National League West squad—especially considering Terry Francona’s team added Edwin Encarnacion in the offseason.

The Diamondbacks won the first two games against Cleveland by a combined score of 19-5.

MVP So Far: Francisco Lindor

One of baseball’s brightest young talents, Lindor has done nothing but hit since making his Major League debut in 2015.

Since that season, the 23-year-old finished second in the Rookie of the year voting, while placing ninth in the MVP race last season.

Lindor also snagged All-Star and Gold Glove honors for Cleveland in 2016. Overall, he’s hit .306 with a .816 OPS in the Majors.

This season, the shortstop his hitting .292 with a 1.065 OPS, seven RBI, five runs scored, three home runs, three walks, a double and a stolen base.

LVP So Far: Corey Kluber

This will obviously change as the season progresses, but Kluber hasn’t gotten off to the best start this season.

In a pair of starts, the pitcher has tossed 12 innings, allowing 12 hits, eight runs, four home runs and four walks.

#2 Minnesota Twins
Record: 5-1
Run Differential: +17
Who They’ve Beat: Kansas City Royals (Three-Game Sweep) and the Chicago White Sox (Twice)
Who Beat Them: Chicago White Sox (Once)

Minnesota enters Tuesday’s contest against the Detroit Tigers with the best record in the division.

The Twins did well to sweep Kansas City in convincing fashion in the opening series, winning by final scores of 7-1, 9-1 and 5-3.

Following the trio of wins against the Royals, Minnesota took two of three against a fellow rebuilding side in the Chicago White Sox.

These games were slightly closer, with Paul Moliter’s teams coming away with 3-1 and 4-1 victories. They lost the only game of the set by a 6-2 final.

It remains to be seen if Minnesota will continue to win, but they certainly took care of business early.

MVP So Far: Ervin Santana

While Cleveland’s Corey Kluber has struggled so far in two starts, Ervin Santana has been the polar opposite in terms of production.

The former Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hurler has allowed just four hits, four walks and a run in a pair of outings spanning 13 frames.

Santana has struck out seven over the same span to push his record to 2-0. His ERA currently sits at a miniscule 0.69.

LVP So Far: Bryan Buxton

There aren’t many players struggling on the 5-1 Twins, but Bryan Buxton hasn’t had the easiest time of hit.

Entering Monday, the former first-round pick is hitting just .077 with a .111 on-base percentage, a .115 slugging percentage and a .226 OPS in 27 plate appearances.

He’s also struck out a staggering 14 times while drawing just one base on balls.

#1 Detroit Tigers
Record: 4-2
Run Differential: -3
Who They’ve Beat: Chicago White Sox (Once) and the Boston Red Sox (Three Times)
Who Beat Them: Chicago White Sox (once) and the Boston Red Sox (Once)

Normally a team with Detroit’s record and run differential would rank below Minnesota considering the Twins entered Tuesday with a better record by a game, and a superior run differential.

However, Detroit’s negative run differential is largely due to the aforementioned blowout in Chicago during the second game of the season.

What’s more, Brad Ausmus’ team has beat superior competition.

Outside of that, the Tigers could very easily be 5-1.

Even with the team’s bullpen blowing a lead against the Red Sox in an eventual loss, Detroit won the other three games in the series.

MVP So Far: Ian Kinsler

Detroit’s starting pitching has by and large been superb to start the campaign.

However, Ian Kinsler has made just as much of an impact on offense.

The standout second baseman entered Tuesday with a .368 batting average, a .520 on-base percentage, a .737 slugging percentage and a 1.257 OPS.

He’s also crushed a pair of home runs and a double while driving in five runs.

What is perhaps most encouraging about Kinsler’s start to the season is that he’s registered just as many walks (five) as strikeouts (five).

LVP So Far: Bruce Rondon

Bruce Rondon is going to be an integral part of the Detroit Tigers franchise moving forward.

The right-hander can miss bats with both his blazing fastball and a nasty slider. He was excellent down the stretch for Detroit last season, but didn’t see that success carry over in 2017.

In three outings, Rondon was tagged for six runs, four hits and three walks in 1.1 innings. The 26-year-old only struck out one.

Detroit sent Rondon to Triple-A, replacing him with Joe Jimenez.

Next: Speaking of Joe Jimenez, Here's How He Could Make an Impact for the Tigers

The flame-throwing right-hander will be back.