Detroit Tigers: Matthew Boyd is Detroit’s Dark Horse

Detroit Tigers coaches have a former rookie of the year, an MVP and a two-time All Star pitcher on the pitching staff. Then there’s Matthew Boyd, who very well could be the ace by season end.

This season people are going to be shocked when Matthew Boyd cements himself as the second best pitcher in the Detroit Tigers‘ rotation.

He also has the potential to make a name for himself in MLB.

In 2015 Boyd split the season on two teams: The Tigers and the Blue Jays.

With Toronto, Boyd started two games, lost them both and ended the season with a 14.85 ERA. After moving to Detroit, Boyd went 1-4 with a 6.57 ERA in 10 starts.

Last season Boyd was on the Tigers’ roster the entire season.

The starting pitcher managed to put together a winning record. He posted a 6-5 record with a 4.53 ERA, his lowest of his career, in 20 appearances and 18 starts.

To start 2017, Boyd, as mentioned earlier, is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in four starts. Nothing notable. When you consider that, since he entered the league his ERA has dropped, his wins increased, his WHIP was nearly cut in half and his FIP was also cut in half.

Boyd’s walks per nine innings increased and strikeouts per nine innings decreased coming from Toronto to Detroit.

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Considering the fact that Boyd’s the innings pitched jumped from 6.2 to 166.2 in a matter of two years, the fluctuation in those stats is bound to happen.

2017 Projections

As of Tuesday, ESPN has Boyd projected for an 18-9 season with a 3.86 ERA.

Those numbers would have placed him somewhere between the first and third spot of Cy Young voting last season.

In fact, last season Corey Kluber finished third in Cy Young voting with a 18-9 record and a 3.14 ERA.

If not Cy Young, then Most Improved Player is not out of the question for the 6-foot 3-inch southpaw.

By the end of the season Matthew Boyd of the Detroit Tigers, assuming he stays healthy, could very likely end up being labeled as the Tigers’ ace.

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Regardless of where he ends record wise, where he finishes in Cy Young voting, or where Detroit finishes in the AL Central; A future 1-2 of Fulmer and Boyd on the mound is something fans can look forward to for many years.