Detroit Tigers: 4 players to be thankful for

'Tis the season to be thankful for some Detroit Tigers players

The Detroit Tigers had an incredibly disappointing season. Many players either underperformed or were injured. But there were a handful of players that showed a lot of promise

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so we figured we'd get into the spirit of the holiday and point out some players to be thankful for. There aren't many, but they deserve some recognition nonetheless.

Thanksgiving is a time where we gather with our families, eat lots of food, watch the Lions lose, and then try to avoid our families afterward. Maybe use this piece as some discussion at the dinner table while you're waiting for your turkey to settle before you dig in to some pumpkin pie. Talking about bright spots from the 2022 Detroit Tigers is a great way to pass the time.

So without further ado, here are four Detroit Tigers to be thankful for this holiday season.

OF Riley Greene

This list would lose any credibility if Greene wasn't here. He may have had a rather pedestrian rookie season, but there's no denying the sheer talent he has.

Greene slashed .253/.321/.362 with five home runs, a 98 wRC+ and a 0.9 fWAR in 418 plate appearances during the 2022 season. He also had a 8.6% walk rate and 28.7 strikeout rate.

Defensively, he looked like superman out in centerfield at times. He robbed many a hits this season, diving and sliding for balls to try to make a play. It's crazy to think that there were concerns about his defense at one point.

One thing that is important to remember is that Greene is stilll just 22 years old. He looked like a rookie at times, and others he looked like a season veteran. He has a very mature approach at the plate.

Greene's numbers may not have been spectacular, but the process was there. He had some great at-bats, hit the ball hard (45.2% hard-hit rate), and hit the ball to all fields. He's going to be a great hitter someday—hopefully someday soon. We should all be thankful for Riley Greene

C Eric Haase

Many feared that Haase would regress in 2022 after a breakout 2021 season. At first, those concerns were justified. He got off to a horrid start. Midway through June, Haase was slashing just .186/.247/.302 with a wRC+ of 57. He looked on the verge of being DFA'd. Thankfully (pun intended), the Detroit Tigers were patient with him.

From June 11 onward, Haase slashed .283/.330/.508 with 12 home runs and a 136 wRC+. He proved that 2021 wasn't a fluke. He's a legit MLB hitter.

The major reason to be thankful for Haase is that he is one of the few hidden gems to come out of the Al Avila era. He acquired Haase from Cleveland for cash considerations. Haase, a minor league journeyman prior to his time in Detroit, has turned into an impact bat for the Tigers.

Haase is obviiously a local guy as well. He's a native of Westland and currently resides in Livonia. Any time players come and play for their hometown team is always something to be thankful for.

Haase looks to play a key role for the Detroit Tigers in the future. Whether he's the starting catcher or he's a bench bat, Haase is certainly a player to be thankful for.

SP Tarik Skubal

Skubal may be injured and miss a significant portion of the 2023 season, but he looked like an ace at times during the 2022 season. Through his first 10 starts, Skubal had a 2.15 ERA, 1.99 FIP, and 61 strikeouts in 58.2 innings pitched. He looked like a star in the making.

Then he started to struggle mightily. From June 7 until the All-Star break, he had an ERA of 7 and a FIP of 4.97. He had started allowing more hard contact and home runs again as well. He looked like the 2021 version of Tarik Skubal.

However, his last four starts before getting injured was much more like it. He had a 1.57 ERA in those starts. Batters hit just .195 in that stretch and he allowed 0 homers. He was starting to look like himself again. It's a shame he got hurt.

Skubal had a 2.9 fWAR this season, which was by far the highest on the Tigers. He's still just 26 years old and has four years of team control left, so when he's healthy, he figures to be a huge part of the Detroit Tigers' future.

If Skubal can come back healthy and get back to form, that's a huge piece of the Tigers' rotation going forward, which is easily something to be thankful for.