Detroit Tigers: Midseason Awards

The Detroit Tigers are through 85 games this season, sitting at 37-48. With the halfway point just crossed, here are our midseason awards.

It’s been an up-and-down season for the Detroit Tigers. Surprise performances from a few veterans kept the Tigers in the thick of things for the first part of the season. However, an ugly 11-game losing streak, marred by the firing of their pitching coach, Chris Bosio, has soured the season outlook. Not to mention an injury to superstar Miguel Cabrera and a very disappointing swan song for Victor Martinez.

However, a surprising pitching rotation led by Matthew Boyd has made for a better first half than many were expecting. Michael Fulmer has had his moments as well, and veterans Mike Fiers and Francisco Liriano have provided a big boost. John Hicks and JaCoby Jones have taken positive steps forward, and the Jeimer Candelario trade from last July looks like a complete steal already.

The magic of the rally goose has worn off, but to keep spirits positive we at Motor City Bengals are going to give out our midseason awards. There have been some fun and exciting performances this season, so let’s take a look at those as we gear up for trade season and the second half of the year. First up, the first-half MVP:

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?

We would love to hear your thoughts! Anyone you think we overlooked? Any awards you’d like to see us dish out? Let us know in the comments here or on Facebook or Twitter.