Detroit Tigers: Justin Upton is a better long-term fit than J.D. Martinez

Detroit Tigers outfielders Justin Upton and J.D. Martinez are producing. Both could also in the offseason via free agency. Hypothetically, if Detroit has to pick one, it should be Upton.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Justin Upton has been key for the team in turning things around in the last week.

After an eight-game losing streak dropped the team in the standings, manager Brad Ausmus tinkered with the lineup, moving Upton up to the third spot in the lineup. Upton has hit third in every game he’s played in since last Sunday’s streak-snapping victory over the Padres.

During the last week, the outfielder leads all Detroit position players in WAR, and has logged a 137 wRC+, a .912 OPS and a .316 ISO.

Of course, Upton’s stats on the season aren’t too shabby either.

Only Alex Avila has a higher WAR than the former first-overall pick on the year among Tigers position players.

Upton has also turned in a 125 wRC+, a .851 OPS and a .233 ISO. He’s batting .267 with a 10.8 walk percentage to go along with five stolen bases and a team-leading 15 home runs.

The ex-Diamondback isn’t the only corner outfielder off to a strong start, as J.D. Martinez is also destroying baseballs at a regular rate with a sky-high .342 ISO and a .640 slugging percentage.

Martinez currently ranks just behind Avila, Upton and tied with Ian Kinsler among position players with a 1.6 WAR.