Detroit Tigers: Mikie Mahtook is providing excellent value in center field

Detroit Tigers center fielder Mikie Mahtook got off to a slow start to begin the season, but he’s starting to turn things around and provide excellent value for Al Avila and company in the process.

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila made just a handful of major moves in the offseason.

He shipped Cameron Maybin to Anaheim to save some cash, signed Alex Avila to pair with James McCann and snagged Daniel Stumpf in the Rule 5 draft.

Al Avila also traded for Mikie Mahtook.

At first glance, things don’t look great.

Mahtook’s on-base percentage on the year sits at a paltry .282. He’s also the owner of a 0.1 WAR.

All this for a player Detroit acquired by relinquishing an intriguing, power relief prospect in Drew Smith (who we here at Motor City Bengals ranked as the team’s 10^th-best prospect heading into 2017).

However, much of Mahtook’s overall numbers are due to the slow start he got off to at the dish.

In his first 42 plate appearances with the Tigers, Mahtook registered just seven hits, four runs scored, five RBI, three walks, two doubles and a home run. He also struck out 13 times in the plate appearances, which spanned 17 games.

Since that game, things have gone much better for the former first-round pick.

Mahtook is hitting .295 with a .820 OPS since, and has been particularly effective in the last 30 days.

Heating up at the plate

The former Rays player is batting .333 with a .556 slugging percentage and a .372 wOBA.

He hasn’t drawn a walk in that stretch, but that’s just fine when he’s also turning in a 132 wRC+ and a .222 ISO.

In the last 30 days, Mahtook has mashed a pair of home runs to go along with seven RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base. He’s even provided some value on the base paths with a 0.2 BsR.

In fact, in a lineup littered with sluggers, Mahtook is second in slugging percentage and third in wRC+ in the last 30 days.

The LSU product notched the go-ahead hit on Sunday in San Diego to put an end to Detroit’s eight-game slide.

Mahtook parlayed his hot streak into hitting second on Tuesday in the series opener against Kansas City.

Slotted in between Ian Kinsler and Justin Upton in the lineup, Mahtook delivered with a pair of hits and a run scored in four trips to the plate.

The outfielder also made a standout defensive play, running down a potential extra-base hit by Salvador Perez in the top of the fifth.

Mahtook covered some serious ground in the Comerica Park outfield grass on the play, crashing into the wall after making the catch.