Detroit Tigers: Players that could step up in the 2020 season

The Detroit Tigers have a number of players who are in prime position to step up their game in the 2020 season, here are a few of them.

The 2019 season was a huge disappointment for the Detroit Tigers, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t bright spots. There were quite a few young players on the team that showed a lot of improvement over the course of the season. Many of these players look like they will continue to step up their game in the 2020 season, here are some names to watch out for.

Victor Reyes

Victor Reyes has moved up and down in the organization since 2018 when he first made his debut. Towards the end of 2019, Reyes showed that he didn’t need any more trips back to Toledo. He finished the season strong, raising his batting average over .300 and displaying some power with a couple of home runs.

Reyes is someone who will likely get an opening day start if everything goes well for him in the offseason and spring training. He is capable of playing all over the field and has the speed and average to make a great lead-off hitter. If he continues building off of how he finished the 2019 season, he could easily have the highest batting average and most stolen bases of anyone on the 2020 roster.

Matthew Boyd

Assuming Matthew Boyd doesn’t get traded, which is a realistic possibility, he could be a dominating starting pitcher for Detroit. He had the best year of his career in 2019, despite having a less-than-stellar end to the year. He led the team in WAR and strikeouts on the year and had a number of great starts. He also seemed to be trending back in the right direction for his last few appearances.

Boyd’s biggest issue was giving up home runs. If he can figure out how to keep the ball in the yard, he will undoubtedly be one of the league’s best pitchers. The biggest question surrounding Boyd next year will be whether Detroit decides to deal him for more prospects, or sticks with him through the rebuilding process. Boyd has made it clear he wants to stay, so that could help with the decision.

Brandon Dixon

Brandon Dixon seemed really close to breaking out all season long in 2019, but it seemed like every time he got hot, he started slumping again. Nevertheless, he still finished the season with a .248 batting average and 15 home runs.

Dixon will turn 28 next year and is right in the heart of his prime. If he can figure out some of the inconsistencies in his game, especially with the bat, he could easily be a big RBI guy for Detroit next year. Dixon has the power to put up big numbers, he just needs to figure out how to get the bat on the ball more often.

There are plenty of other players in the Detroit Tigers’ organization that could be mentioned here, but these players displayed a knack for improvement over the 2019 season and look likely to continue that trend. Which players do you think will step it up for Detroit in 2020?