The Detroit Tigers are on another path of defeat

The Detroit Tigers are five games over .500 for the first time since 2014 and currently sit in third place, just two games back of the American League Central-leading Cleveland Guardians. It is hard to complain when your team sits just a couple of games out of the division lead, but there are cracks in the foundation that are worth noting.

The pitching has been stellar this season led by Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, and a shut-down bullpen. The offense on the other hand has been anything but stellar. Some names are unfortunately expected at this point, but others are very concerning.

I will cut Colt Keith some slack given his rookie status. There is a huge learning curve between Triple-A and the MLB, so let's give the kid some time to adapt to the big leagues despite his .165 slugging percentage. As for perennial letdown Javier Baez, there is nothing more to say than I wake up every day hoping he gives up baseball. Sporting a .198 average with a .524 OPS while being benched after a two-error day, he continues to be the worst contract in Detroit Tigers history.

Gio Urshela has a nice .298 batting average, but with only two extra-base hits out of 17 total hits before hitting the injured list, there is concern about his ability to drive in runs. Jake Rogers and Carson Kelly continue to hit below the Mendoza line. Parker Meadows has gotten hot as of late but is still hitting just .100 this year with two home runs.

The Detroit Tigers lineup is falling apart at the seams, and everyone needs to step it up if the team wants to make an impact this season.

The biggest surprise of all has been the regression of Spencer Torkelson. After a year where he led the team with 31 home runs, Tork has bombed this season. He is yet to hit his first home run of the year and is hitting just .219. The frustrating part with Torkelson is that he always hits the ball hard, but seems to foul everything down the line or hit it right at a fielder. I almost feel bad complaining because he hits the ball hard, but the results must improve.

The fact that I just listed every infielder and the primary center fielder and the team has a winning record seems like some voodoo magic. Wins are wins, sure, but if this trend of horrendous hitting continues, there is no way this team can go on to make the playoffs.