Detroit Tigers: Who should start in Left Field?

The Detroit Tigers have a problem in left field. Which of their many options should they explore as a permanent starter?

Detroit Tigers fans went into 2018 with cautious optimism regarding the left field position. Mikie Mahtook was locked into the starting role. He was coming off a career year where he posted a .276/.330/.457 line with 12 home runs and six stolen bases in 348 at-bats. Despite a slow spring, Mahtook was the guy in left field, and many expected a 20/10 season from the 28-year-old former first-round pick.

The Tigers had a fall-back plan, with both JaCoby Jones and Victor Reyes making the Opening Day roster. Although Jones had never played left field at the big league level, he is a very capable defensive outfielder and was viewed as great insurance for Mahtook. Reyes, the first overall selection in the Rule 5 draft, is locked into a roster spot for 2018. While he does not have much experience, the Tigers like his potential enough to keep him on the roster all year. Between the three of them, left field seemed well taken care of for 2018.

So what the heck happened?

Mahtook’s demotion to Triple-A may have seemed rushed, but an ugly spring followed by a 4-for-31 start to the year gave the Tigers a chance to send him down to clear his head. In his stead, Jones (.176) and Reyes (.200) haven’t exactly lit the world on fire. The Tigers will focus on these three as their left fielder(s) this season, but they have other options.

Here is a look at who all Detroit could experiment with this season in left field:

Mikie Mahtook

The first, and likely preferred, option for the Tigers is to have Mahtook be the primary left fielder. The team is in rebuilding mode, and they are in no rush to call up any of their outfield prospects before they are ready (more on them later). It works best for the Tigers if Mahtook can regain the success he had in the second half last year (.283/.356/.486) and be a solid cog in Detroit’s lineup, at least for this year. Christin Stewart and Mike Gerber will likely be ready for big league duty by 2019 (if not sooner) so all the Tigers need is for Mahtook to hold it down until then – if he can.

JaCoby Jones

If he can’t, the next option is likely JaCoby Jones. Jones has displayed a tantalizing set of skills, with elite speed in center field and on the basepaths, along with potential 15-20 home run power. However, he also posted a comically bad 65 strikeouts in just 141 at-bats last year, compared to only nine walks. His plate discipline has been better in his first nine games this season, with only five strikeouts (22.7%) and three walks so far. The Tigers are seemingly grooming Jones to be a super utility player, having him take grounders at third base in spring training. A former shortstop, Jones has the athleticism to play around the diamond if necessary. His future is unlikely to be as a big league regular however, so the Tigers are hoping to keep him in a reserve role going forward.

Victor Reyes

Reyes has 516 plate appearances at Double-A and no experience at Triple-A under his belt, so making him a full-time starter could get ugly. While he has some nice tools, namely speed and good contact skills, he does not profile to be a big league starter. At least not right now. Reyes is best served as an occasional spot-starter and pinch-runner in 2018. Once the season ends, the Tigers will probably send him to Triple-A Toledo in 2019 to let him develop more. He has a future in Detroit, but shouldn’t have a major role this season.

Niko Goodrum

The wildcard option this year is Niko Goodrum, who started in left field for the Tigers on Tuesday against the Orioles. Obviously, Goodrum becoming the primary left fielder would be a problem for the Tigers, who would lose their utility infielder. If Goodrum starts hitting extremely well, the Tigers could send either a reliever or Jones down to Triple-A and recall either Ronny Rodriguez or Pete Kozma to be their utility infielder. This seems like an unlikely scenario, but a possibility considering the floundering of Detroit’s other left field options and manager Ron Gardenhire‘s unpredictability.