Detroit Tigers: Midseason Awards

Team MVP – Nicholas Castellanos

This is the breakout the Detroit Tigers have been waiting for. Through 85 games, Castellanos is slashing .310/.357/.524 with 13 home runs, 53 RBI, a 138 wRC+ and a 2.1 fWAR. He has been the undisputed leader of this team, and should get heavy consideration for his first All-Star nod. 

Castellanos has long been a sabermetrics darling, but has taken that to a new level this season. He sports a career-high 49.2% hard-hit rate, along with a career-high 29.5% line drive rate. Those rank fifth and third in all of baseball, respectively.

His strikeout rate of 21.9% is about on par with what he did last season, and is down significantly from his previous three campaigns. His 5.6% walk rate is a bit disappointing, as that would represent a career-low for the 26-year-old.

It couldn’t have gotten any worse, but it’s been encouraging to see Castellanos’ defense in right field improve this season. He has looked much more comfortable out there, and although advanced metrics still peg him as below average, the improvements have meant his fWAR is nearly already as high as last season, despite only playing in 82 games.

Castellanos is Detroit’s best player. He could work his way into ‘face of the franchise’ territory if the Tigers choose to retain him going forward.

Most Improved – Joe Jimenez

Anyone who followed Jimenez’s absolute dominance through the minor leagues knew that he had the potential to be a star. His 19 inning cameo in 2017 could not have gone worse however, as the young right-hander posted an egregious 12.32 ERA with a 2.11 WHIP and a 4.08 BB/9.

He has rebounded in a big way in 2018, and could find himself as Detroit’s All-Star representative. Although his last few outings have been rough, Jimenez still sports a 2.77 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP on the year. He also has a 44/9 K/BB ratio in just 39 innings, good for a stellar 10.15 K/9.

It’s hard to call his performance ‘improved’ as he always had the talent to be a late-inning reliever. But considering how atrocious his 2017 season was, it was widely expected that Jimenez may need a little more time in the minor leagues. At the very least, most had tempered expectations heading into 2018. Few would have projected he’d figure out major league hitting as quickly as he did.

With Shane Greene hitting the disabled list, Jimenez will get his first regular crack at the ninth inning duties. Should he succeed, there’s always a chance the Tigers will let him roll with the job even when Greene is back.

Greene is also a trade candidate this month, although his injury hurts his value. Still, the Tigers may move Greene if they get the right offer, giving the ninth inning to Jimenez full-time.

Rookie of the Year – Niko Goodrum

The Detroit Tigers have had seven rookie-eligible players suit up for them this season. Of those seven, Niko Goodrum has clearly had the biggest impact on the Tigers.

Goodrum came to the Tigers as a minor league free agent after spending eight seasons in the Twins farm system. He played in 11 games with the Twins in 2017, but went just 1-for-17 with ten strikeouts.

Goodrum was brought in to compete for a utility infielder role against veterans Pete Kozma and Alexi Amarista, as well as fellow minor league free agent Ronny Rodriguez. Goodrum hit the ball well in spring and was awarded a roster spot. He has rewarded the Tigers with solid production with the stick and excellent defensive versatility.

Goodrum has appeared at 22 games at first base, 21 at second base, nine at third, five at shortstop, and 11 in the outfield. He has slashed .236/.317/.431 with seven home runs, six stolen bases and 27 runs scored. His seven home runs is tied with John Hicks for fourth on the team and his 10% walk-rate is third – behind Miguel Cabrera and Jeimer Candelario.

The disappointing performance from Dixon Machado (.206 with one HR and one SB) could allow Goodrum to slide into an everyday role at second base in the second half. Many expect Dawel Lugo to eventually play second base full-time, but he has not looked great at Triple-A this season.

Goodrum could emerge as a solid stop-gap at the keystone while the team waits for 2018 third round pick Kody Clemens to develop down on the farm.

Biggest Surprise – Blaine Hardy

There have been quite a few surprises for the Detroit Tigers this season. Matthew Boyd emerging as Detroit’s best starter has certainly been a big one. As has the stellar performances from all three one-year rentals: Francisco Liriano, Mike Fiers and Leonys Martin. John Hicks has been one of Detroit’s steadiest offensive performers, and of course Jose Iglesias already has a career-high in stolen bases at the season’s halfway mark.

However, I’ll give the edge on most surprising to Detroit’s hybrid starter/reliever, Blaine Hardy. After an outstanding start to the season at Triple-A Toledo, Hardy was recalled and placed in the starting rotation. Injuries had left the Tigers without many options to start, so Hardy got the nod despite having never made a big league start.

That didn’t seem to bother him. Across eight starts, Hardy went 3-1 with a 3.71 ERA and a 30/10 K/BB ratio. This included seven innings of one-run ball against the White Sox and a pair of six inning, two ER outings in early June against the Blue Jays and Twins, respectively.

Hardy is back in the bullpen for now, where he has a 1.80 ERA and just earned his first save of the season. This level of production is a complete surprise, as he started the year off in Triple-A and many expected he would be DFA’d or released. Now, he emerges as one of Detroit’s better all-around pitchers, and a potential trade candidate if a team is willing to buy into his early season success.

Next: 2006 Tigers: Where are they now?

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