Detroit Tigers: Mikie Mahtook’s no good very bad spring

Mikie Mahtook had a career season for the Detroit Tigers last year, but a slow spring has us wondering: how long of a leash does he have if this continues?

One of the Detroit Tigers biggest surprises last season was the emergence of outfielder Mikie Mahtook. A former first-round pick, Mahtook came to the Tigers after an ugly .195/.231/.292 line with the Rays in 2016.

He was expected to compete for a bench role, but more than likely end up at Triple-A. Instead, Mahtook took off after a slow start, slashing .276/.330/.457 with 12 home runs and six stolen bases. That strong performance earned Mahtook a chance to open 2018 as Detroit’s starting left fielder.

While it won’t affect his starting role for now, it has not been a pretty spring for the 28-year-old. Mahtook is currently hitting .154 (6-for-39) with one stolen base, three walks and 11 strikeouts.

The 11 strikeouts in 39 at-bats is particularly concerning. Part of Mahtook’s development as a hitter was cutting down his strikeouts. He posted a 27% strikeout rate in 2015, followed by a staggering 34.7% rate in 2016. Mahtook was able to cut that down dramatically last season, only striking out in 20.8% of his at-bats.

Slow Start?

It’s important to not get too wrapped up in spring training stats. Mahtook had a really slow start last season, hitting .194 in March/April and .179 in May. It’s possible he’s just getting his slow start out of the way and will go on to post a .280 season with 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases. While that is best case scenario for the Tigers and Mahtook, they do need to be ready for the possibility that 2017 was Mahtook’s peak. If Mahtook is not a starting caliber left fielder, the Tigers need to move on to Plan B.

If that does become the case, they have a few options.

JaCoby Jones

If Mahtook cannot regain his magic from 2017, the Tigers would most likely turn to JaCoby Jones in left field. While Jones’ glove is more suited for center, the Tigers will likely keep veteran Leonys Martin out there and let Jones roam left.

Jones is no stranger to strikeout issues, having whiffed in 42.2% of his at-bats last year with the Tigers. While he likely needs more time in Triple-A, he would very likely step into a starting role if Mahtook were not performing.

The Detroit Tigers have recently worked Jones out in the infield in an attempt to make him more versatile. They could be grooming him for a super utility role, similar to the Andrew Romine held the last few years. Jones has never played left field in the major leagues, although he’s started 11 games there at Triple-A Toledo in the last two seasons.

He is the most likely candidate to start in left field without Mahtook, but he is not the only one.

Victor Reyes

The Detroit Tigers used the first overall selection in November’s Rule 5 draft to select Victor Reyes from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 23-year-old has never played above Double-A. He spent all of 2017 at that level, hitting .292 with 18 stolen bases and a 110 wRC+.

Reyes has more experience in left field than Jones, although he has played more right field and center field than he has left. Reyes will need to make the 25-man roster or else be offered back to the Diamondbacks, so his path to regular playing time is more clear than Jones’. However, Reyes has no MLB experience and does not appear ready for a starting job in the major leagues. Reyes is only hitting .190 with 10 strikeouts in 42 at-bats this spring, and has looked overmatched for most of the spring.

Expect Reyes to remain in a reserve role this season, unless injuries or ineffectiveness overtake multiple Tigers starters.