Detroit Tigers: Simply put, right field defense wasn’t good in 2017

Detroit Tigers right fielders didn’t have the best year from a defensive standpoint in 2017. Whether the defense improves remains to be seen, but the overall product wasn’t great last season.

Detroit Tigers fans have seen some outstanding offensive production from right outfielders in seasons past.

While the likes of Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes have manned left field, right fielders have had much more of an impact at the plate for the Tigers.

Magglio Ordonez, Torii Hunter and J.D. Martinez have provided some excellent offense, however they didn’t exactly win Gold Gloves toward the end of their tenures in the Motor City.

Ordonez had a DRS of -6 or worse in five of his last six seasons in the Majors, while Hunter had UZR/150 stats of -5.1 and -20.1 respectively in his two years with Detroit.

Martinez showed initial promise in right field with a +4 DRS and a 8.0 UZR/150 in his first season at the position with the Tigers (he started in left field in 2014).

However, he could never quite recapture that kind of defensive form.

In 2016 his DRS checked in at -22, while his UZR/150 was -21.5 in 1027.1 defensive innings of work.

The 2017 campaign wasn’t quite as much of a struggle for the veteran.

In an admittedly smaller sample size of 438 innings, Martinez had a -6 DRS, a -16.4 UZR/150 and a -7.8 defensive runs above average stat.

The slugger’s defensive struggles were largely a sign of things to come for the Tigers in right field from a defensive standpoint.

As a team

Overall, the Tigers right fielders finished last in the Majors with a -17.1 cumulative defensive runs above average.

What’s more, only five teams had right field units that had a collective DRS worse than -10.

Detroit was one of those five teams, as Tigers right fielders had a -21 DRS. The next closest was Kansas City with -18.

The UZR/150 metric paints a slightly more positive picture, but only slightly. Detroit right fielders ranked 29^th in the stat with a -8.8 number that only ranked above Pittsburgh’s -9.4.

Individually

Six different Detroit Tigers players logged at least 120 defensive inning in right field last season.

The group includes Martine (438 innings), Alex Presley (259.2 innings), Jim Adduci (194 innings), Nicholas Castellanos (173 innings), Mikie Mahtook (145 innings) and Tyler Collins (128.2 innings).

The only bright spot of the group was Adduci, who notched a +3 DRS and a 4.9 UZR/150.

His -0.2 defensive runs above average stat wasn’t ideal, but it looked much better when compared to the likes of Martinez (-7.8) and Castellanos (-6.2).

Nicholas Castellanos

Speaking of Castellanos, he’s the leading candidate to see the lion’s share of the innings at the position in 2018.

If Detroit enters next season without Victor Martinez on the roster, the team may find it prudent to move Miguel Cabrera to designated hitter and find a new first baseman.

This is purely speculative mind you, but Castellanos could be a fit there.

Still, it’s likely that the former third baseman will be in right field come Opening Day.

In 173 innings down the stretch he had an eye-catching (and not in a good way) -80.5 UZR/150 and -7 DRS.

Among the 67 right fielders with at least 120 defensive innings, Castellanos ranked 58^th in defensive runs above average and last in UZR/150.

For reference, the next closest right fielder was Oakland’s Mark Canha with a -42.9 UZR/150.

The rest of Detroit’s right fielders didn’t fare well overall either from a metrics standpoint.

Presley was 59^th in DRS, while Collins was 58^th in UZR/150.

Admittedly, some metrics viewed Detroit’s right fielders in a slightly kinder fashion.

Adduci, Presley, Mahtook and Collins all ranked in the top 26 in defensive runs above average. The ex-Rangers outfielder finished 17^th in DRS while Presley and Mahtook were more middle of the pack in terms of UZR/150.

Still, the overall picture isn’t a pretty one.