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.

#4 Chicago White Sox
Record: 2-3
Run Differential: +5
Who They’ve Beat: Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins (Once Each)
Who Beat Them: Detroit Tigers (once) and the Minnesota Twins (Twice)

The Chicago White Sox’ run differential looks solid, however most of it is due to the team’s 11-2 win over the Tigers in the second game of the season.

Chicago used big days from Matt Davidson and Geovany Soto to come away with the blowout win.

The duo, who hit seventh and eighth for the club, combined for seven RBI and five runs scored on four hits and a pair of walks.

If you take that game out, Chicago is just 1-3 with a -4 run differential.

This probably seems a little more accurate for a team that just started a rebuilding effort.

Over the offseason, the White Sox traded starting pitcher Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton for significant prospect hauls.

While the players acquired for the duo should help the franchise in the long term, Chicago may be in for a long season.

MVP So Far: Geovany Soto

The catcher hit just 13 home runs over the last two seasons with the Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

He played 104 games over those campaigns.

In four games and 14 at-bats this year, Soto has already swatted three bombs while driving in five RBI. His slugging percentage (1.091) and OPS (1.519) are both in excellent places to begin 2017.

LVP So Far: Todd Frazier

Once again, it is early, but Todd Frazier hasn’t found much success with the bat for Chicago.

One of the team’s remaining veteran contributors, the third baseman is batting just .059 with a .059 slugging percentage in 21 at-bats.

Those numbers won’t hold up over the course of the season, but the early part of 2017 hasn’t been to kind to Frazier at the plate.

#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.

#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.