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Detroit Tigers: The Tiger killers have been neutralized in 2021

By Roger Castillo |
Sep 16, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Salvador Perez (13) reacts after hitting a single against the Oakland Athletics during the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 16, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Salvador Perez (13) reacts after hitting a single against the Oakland Athletics during the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
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There are several players in the American League that Detroit Tigers fans cringe at when they hear their names but in 2021, Tigers pitchers have seemed to neutralize “Tiger Killers.”

When the Kansas City Royals were in town over the weekend, there was one name that Detroit Tigers fans heard that perhaps gave them negative vibes. Whit Merrifield.

With an entirely new coaching staff at the helm, I was curious to see how manager A.J. Hinch handled five known “Tiger Killers” in 2021 as the season draws to a close this week. I will even include how a few continued to do well against Tigers pitching.

The Detroit Tigers “killer” criteria:

I went back to 2015 to get several seasons under the filter. The 2020 season will have an asterisk since it was a shortened season but I wanted to have it there since it was the last year under manager Ron Gardenhire.

There are a few factors to consider when it comes to the schedule. Last season, the Tigers faced only AL Central teams and Interleague play has also thrown the schedule out of wack.  So the at-bats per season we look back may look a little strange.

Granted, the Tigers have Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize in the rotation and may have not faced a few players on this list but Matthew Boyd, Michael Fulmer, Derek Holland, and Wily Peralta have faced several of these hitters.

Some of these players you may remember that will not show up on a  regular basis anymore include Francisco Lindor, who is with the Mets and in 2019, batted .300 in 70 at-bats in 2019 (21-for-70) and Eric Hosmer, who in 2017, batted .316 (24-for-76) while in Kansas City.  Jorge Soler, who hit 10 home runs in 19 games spanning 71 at-bats in 2019, still stands out as the one who has done the most damage with the long ball.

Let’s start with a pair of Chicago White Sox players as they are in town for a makeup game.

Sep 21, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu (79) smiles at his dugout after hitting a single during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 21, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu (79) smiles at his dugout after hitting a single during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

Detroit Tigers “Tiger Killers”: Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson

The first baseman since coming into the league in 2014 has been a thorn in the Tigers’ paw.  Abreu has batted .375 in 184 at-bats (69-for-184) with six home runs and an OPS of .968 lifetime against Detroit.

In 2021, in 48 at-bats, Abreu is batting .313 (15-for-48) with just one home run and 9 RBI, and an OPS of .798.  He hit against Tiger left-handed pitching well as he went 3-for-9 against Tarik Skubal, a hit in his only at-bat against Matthew Boyd, 3-for-5 against Tyler Alexander and the lone home run came off of Gregory Soto (1-for-3)

Tim Anderson’s numbers this season seem kinder to Tigers pitching versus in the past. He is batting .333 (18-for-54) with just one home run, which was at Guaranteed Rate Field. Last season in just 39 at-bats last season, Anderson hit five alone, his best season against the Tigers.

Anderson is an American League batting champion so to see an OPS under 1.000 against the Tigers this season is a small step towards containing him.  In 2019 in 50 at-bats, he hit .400 (20-for-39)

Who has stepped up to be the next “Tiger Killer” is Eloy Jimenez. Not including today, he has hit .319/.354/.622 with 10 home runs in 119 at-bats. His lifetime .976 OPS pops out and with so many weapons in Chicago’s lineup, hard to stop them all.

I still find it staggering as I type this that Tim Anderson has not gone yard against the Tigers at Comerica Park.  It could change after today but just worth noting. As I noted from the article I did last season on the all-time batters who have done the most damage against Detroit,  Abreu is among the top 3 active leaders in home runs hit against the Tigers.

Sep 20, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) celebrates his two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 20, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) celebrates his two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Detroit Tigers “Tiger Killers”: Salvador Perez, Carlos Santana, and Whit Merrifield

Salvador Perez is having a monster season for the Royals, being among the leaders in home runs and RBI in the American League.  Lifetime against Detroit, he has hit 26 home runs with a lifetime batting average of .284.

In 2021, he has hit three home runs against the Tigers but none of them came at Comerica Park. Two of them came off of Tarik Skubal and the last one came off of Casey Mize. Speaking of Mize, lifetime against him so far he has hit .467 against him (7-for-15).

Overall in 2021, he did not hit one home run at Comerica Park for the first time since 2014 and finished the year batting .274 (20-for-73) against the Tigers, and at Comerica Park, batted just .190 with an OPS of .452.

Carlos Santana has been known to also as a “Tiger Killer”, whether it’s by walks or home runs.  He has 26 home runs lifetime against Detroit. However, until this season, Santana was held in check in the home run department at Comerica. The Tigers allowed his first one since the 2018 season at home.  On the season, he has batted just .229 with 15 strikeouts to 12 walks which marks the first time since 2014 that Santana struck out more than he walked against the Tigers.

Ah, Whit Merrifield, the one KC Royal that many fans dread seeing come to the plate.  This season, he has hit at Comerica Park, .250 (9-for-36) with no home runs, which marks the first time since 2016 (only had 14 at-bats) where he hit under .300 at Comerica in his career.  In back-to-back seasons, Merrifield had put up OPS over 1.000 but this season, just .636 in Detroit.

Lifetime at Comerica Park, he has batted .328 with 9 home runs but to see him be somewhat human this year is a welcomed sight.

Sep 24, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) hits an RBI single during the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) hits an RBI single during the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Detroit Tigers “Tiger Killers” Jose Ramirez & company

Jose Ramirez is one of the most feared batters in the Cleveland lineup. In 28 at-bats in 2020,  he hit .464 (13-for-28) with five home runs and drove in 15 at Comerica Park. He made up for the fact that in 2019, he did not hit a single one in Detroit.  Lifetime at CoPa, he has a slash line of .295/.374/.604 with an OPS of .978. This year, he still did the damage, hitting .308 (12-for-39) with one home run and per normal, was able to walk more than striking out.

Before he was traded to Atlanta, Eddie Rosario enjoyed Comerica this season to the tune of batting .435/.517/.739 with an OPS of 1.256 (10-for 23).

For the Twins, Josh Donaldson was the one who benefitted the most out of Comerica this season. He hit three home runs, put up a slash line of .429/.520/.1.000 and an OPS of 1.520. Yikes.  Nelson Cruz prior to his trade to Tampa also hit three home runs and finished going .333/.389/.667 (11-for-33).

While Kyle Garlick batted .600 against Detroit, keep in mind it was only 10 at-bats. Jorge Polanco was a menace, batting .328/.389/.578 with an OPS of .967 with four home runs, which was second to MVP candidate LA Angels two-way player stud, Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani owned the Tigers this season, hitting the most home runs than any other player with five and had an OPS of 1.458. (8-for-24) in just seven games.

It was good to see some of the usual suspects look normal compared to years past against the Tigers. Manager A.J Hinch seemed to hold down the big AL Central division at-bats minus Cruz and that is all you can ask for among your rivals.

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