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Detroit Tigers 2017 season in review: Buck Farmer

By Ben Rosener |
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 26: Buck Farmer #45 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 26, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 26: Buck Farmer #45 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 26, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
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DETROIT, MI – JUNE 18: Buck Farmer #45 of the Detroit Tigers warms up prior to the start of the game against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 18, 2017 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. . (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – JUNE 18: Buck Farmer #45 of the Detroit Tigers warms up prior to the start of the game against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 18, 2017 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. . (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

Detroit Tigers fans saw Buck Farmer return to the Major League rotation in 2017. While Farmer didn’t exactly lead the team in WAR, he showed flashes of being able to stick in the rotation long-term.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Buck Farmer stepped into the rotation on a more consistent basis during the 2017 season.

After making just eight starts spread across 32 total appearances in parts of his first three campaigns in the Majors, Farmer was a consistent member of the rotation while with the Tigers in 2017.

Those 11 starts came in part due to Farmer seeming to figure things out at Triple-A Toledo, with a 3.93 ERA, 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.326 WHIP in 123.2 frames for the Mud Hens.

He parlayed those results into a role with the Tigers when the team needed starting pitching help.

At first, the results were brilliant, with Farmer keeping both the White Sox and Angels off the scoreboard in his first two starts of the season in late May and early June.

Those starts lasted a combined 13 innings and included 16 strikeouts compared to just three walks.

Farmer also allowed just three hits in each games as he faced 23 batters each time out.

That was the good, and now to the bad.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 30: Buck Farmer #45 of the Detroit Tigers listens to Rich Dubee pitching coach for the Detroit Tigers and Bryan Holaday #50 of the Detroit Tigers after Farmer walked in a run for the Minnesota Twins in the first inning during of their baseball game on September 30, 2017, at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.(Photo by Andy King/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 30: Buck Farmer #45 of the Detroit Tigers listens to Rich Dubee pitching coach for the Detroit Tigers and Bryan Holaday #50 of the Detroit Tigers after Farmer walked in a run for the Minnesota Twins in the first inning during of their baseball game on September 30, 2017, at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.(Photo by Andy King/Getty Images) /

The rest of the way

The former fifth-round pick struggled in his next two outings, allowing nine hits,, six runs and two home runs in 2.1 innings against the Diamondbacks, while hemorrhaging seven runs, five hits, three home runs and a walk in 2.1 frames versus the Rays.

Following the starts, Farmer went back to Toledo and didn’t remerge with the Tigers until late August.

Stepping into the rotation once again, the starter’s outing from there on out were a bit of a mixed bag.

He once again looked promising against Chicago in his first start back, scattering five hits, three earned runs, a home run and a walk over 5.2 frames while punching out three.

Farmer would six more starts over the course of the season, including quality outings against Toronto (five innings, five hits, three strikeouts, two hits, one earned run and a walk) and Minnesota (five innings, four hits, four walks, three strikeouts and an earned run).

However, the 26-year-old failed to reach the five-inning mark in just one of his other four starts.

In that sole outing, he was tagged for eight hits, five runs, three walks and a home run against the Twins.

Final stat line:

11 starts, 48 innings pitched, 6.75 ERA, 5.05 FIP, 5.14 xFIP, 4.58 SIERA, 1.563 WHIP, 0.3 fWAR. 22.4% strikeout percentage, 11.3% swinging strike percentage, 9.1% walk rate, .336 BABIP.

DETROIT, MI – SEPTEMBER 24: Starting pitcher Buck Farmer #45 of the Detroit Tigers throws in first inning during a MLB game against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park on September 24, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – SEPTEMBER 24: Starting pitcher Buck Farmer #45 of the Detroit Tigers throws in first inning during a MLB game against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park on September 24, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) /

Potential role in 2018 with the Detroit Tigers

With Justin Verlander and now Anibal Sanchez gone from the rotation picture, Farmer is perhaps the leading candidate among incumbents to step in alongside Michael Fulmer, Matthew Boyd, Daniel Norris and Jordan Zimmermann.

He found much more success than the likes of Myles Jaye, Artie Lewicki, Chad Bell and Drew VerHagen.

What’s more, Farmer’s ability to miss bats helps him stand out not just from the likes of Jaye and Bell, but the rest of Detroit’s starters in general.

To go along with 9.19 strikeouts per nine innings, Farmer also ranked fifth among all current Tigers pitchers in swinging strike percentage with an 11.3 stat.

The four ahead of the hurler in the queue were all relievers with small sample sizes in Jeff Ferrell, Bruce Rondon, Victor Alcantara and Joe Jimenez.

Matthew Boyd was the only other starter with a swinging strike percentage in double digits.

Next: Why the Tigers should sign old friend Curtis Granderson

If Farmer can continue to miss bats and pitch more like the starter who limits damage than the one who gets hit around, he has a chance to be a valuable member of the Detroit Tigers rotation in 2018.

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