3 Detroit Tigers players most likely to have a breakout season in 2023

These Detroit Tigers could be poised to break out in 2023

Detroit Tigers fans are hoping for better results in 2023. At the very least, some progress toward getting back to the successful days from 2011-2014 when a trip to the postseason was always a guarantee.

The Tigers have been on the downswing for several years. Despite an effort from the front office last offseason to bring in some important pieces, the Tigers swung and missed on many of their additions. Veterans didn’t perform up to their contracts. Many of the younger players sank when they dove into the deep end.

In 2023, it’s these three Tigers we should keep an eye on to have a breakout season.

1. Why Tigers outfielder Riley Greene can have a breakout year in 2023

Riley Greene has a great shot at becoming one of the league’s next great center fielders. He fast-tracked his way through the minor leagues and made his debut at 21 last season. The results weren’t stupendous. Slashing .253/.321/.362 with 5 home runs in 418 trips to the plate made him easy to overlook in the Rookie of the Year voting.

There are obvious areas where Greene needs to improve. He struck out 120 times. It was a problem for him in the minors, too. In his one full year on the farm back in 2021, Greene fanned 153 times in 124 games.

Improvements in areas like this will come as he gets more chances to play in big league games. Power will come. Plate discipline can follow.

Greene is young and a breakout year for the Tigers in 2023 would be one of the best storylines for the team. Reliable center fielders who can do a little bit of everything aren’t in abundance. Tigers fans can remain hopeful that he’s not going to wait around to have a memorable year.

3. Why Tigers reliever Alex Lange can have a breakout year in 2023

Tigers reliever Alex Lange may have the closer role this season which would allow him to jump up onto the radar of many baseball fans even beyond Detroit. This 27-year-old acquired back in 2019 in the Nick Castellanos trade with the Chicago Cubs has been a big part of Detroit’s bullpen for two years now. He’s coming off of an impressive 7-4, 3.41 ERA season in 63.1 innings of work. He showed off some brilliant stuff by fanning batters at a rate of 11.7 per 9 innings of work.

The Gregory Soto trade with the Philadelphia Phillies helped move Lange up the depth charts where he looks more than ready to finish off wins for the Tigers in 2023. As fickle as relievers can be, he has shown enough in the majors for us to put faith in him having a breakout year.

What’s interesting about Lange is that he didn’t have much success in the minors. A converted starter who has worked his way into the good graces of Tigers fans, this is the year for him to shine and hopefully carry over his success into the closer’s spot.

Fans can expect plenty of trade chatter about Lange later on this year. The Tigers would be wise to hold him for a ransom. He’s only about to embark on his third season. Let Lange develop more and become the star closer they’ll need when the team is ready to make its next serious push.