Detroit Tigers: Matt Boyd the true ace of the Tigers rotation

Since September 17, 2017, Matthew Boyd has been the true ace of the Detroit Tigers. While no one can dispute the pitching prowess Michael Fulmer, Boyd’s pitching skills cannot be overlooked.

On the 17th of September 2017, Detroit Tigers pitcher Matt Boyd took a no-hitter into the ninth inning in his start against the Chicago White Sox. While the no-hitter would be broken up with two outs in the ninth, the game may turn out to have been the best in his career. That would include all past and future games.

On the same day that Tiger great Justin Verlander pitched his first game for the Houston Astros, Boyd may have emerged as a potentially great Tiger pitcher.

At this point, that is all speculation. But it cannot be denied that the young Tiger pitcher has pitched great since that date.

What Happened

On July 30, 2015, the Detroit Tigers acquired Matt Boyd and Daniel Norris along with Jairo Labourt in exchange for pitcher David Price. While Boyd would find relative success in the Tiger minor leagues, he was relatively ineffective in the majors.

While Boyd did have some good outings, pitching necessity was the reason Boyd was with the major league club. Lack of starting pitching depth prompted the Detroit Tigers to start the 2017 season with Boyd on the staff.

However after starting the year with a 2-5 record and 5.67 ERA, Boyd was demoted to Toledo.

Perhaps one of the few success stories of pitching coach Rich Dubee in Detroit was his mentoring of Matt Boyd.  Working with Dubee, Boyd tweaked his delivery.

While the coach spotted numerous concerns, the biggest concern was timing. Boyd’s hips would open up too early and his arm slot varied from pitch to pitch.

Boyd was eventually recalled to Detroit and on September 17th, 2017, a new Matt Boyd took the mound.

2018 Season

Since the beginning of the 2018 season, one bright spot for the Detroit Tigers has been Matt Boyd. In Boyd’s six starts, he has given up more than a single run only once. The Tigers have won only one of those games. It must be remembered, however, that in the American League Boyd doesn’t bat.

Next: What Could Be

The sun shines when Matt Boyd Pitches.