The 2022 Tigers: Who Delighted? Who Disappointed?
Today we look back at the Detroit Tigers' 2022 season and evaluate which young players impressed and which players could be on the roster bubble for next year.
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Pregame Pepper: Riley Greene Flashing Leather
Leading Off
Detroit Tigers: What’s Next For The Current Tigers
By Joe Underhill
It was a disappointing year for the Detroit Tigers. The combination of injuries, under performance, slow starts and other oddities ultimately cost Al Avila his job as the Tigers’ general manager. Detroit has shifted control of its team and front office to Scott Harris, who has already begun to make changes with several coaches either being let go or reassigned. The next big step for Harris is determining what to do with his current roster.
The current roster is the focus here. A lot has been written about the Tigers’ free agent acquisitions last season, and those players will be on the roster next year. Instead, the next few hundred words will focus on Detroit’s young players and players on the roster bubble.
Young Players:
Spencer Torkelson: He struggled throughout his rookie campaign, spending over a month at Triple-A trying to rediscover the swing that made him the No. 1 ranked hitter coming out of college. Torkelson played well defensively, but even after his Triple-A sabbatical he continued to struggle with the bat, finishing the year with a .203 batting average and an OPS+ of just 77. Torkelson will need to show in Spring Training that he has ironed out his mechanics if he is going to make the Opening Day roster in 2023.
Riley Greene: He had a solid rookie season, compiling 1.4 WAR (per Baseball Reference) and playing solid defense with 2.0 defensive runs saved. The Tigers’ offense improved once Greene recovered from the broken foot that cost him the first two months of the season. Ultimately, Greene may end up in left field if a stronger defensive center fielder becomes available.
Akil Baddoo: He had a really difficult start to the school year earning a demotion to Triple-A . He continued to struggle initially on returning to the big league roster. However, he picked up the pace both offensively and defensively. After Sept. 1, Baddoo hit .236 with an OPS of .706. Baddoo will be in competition for a spot on the big league roster going into Spring Training.
Kerry Carpenter: He was finally called up in August after hitting 30 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A. All he did in 31 games in the big leagues is hit .252 with six home runs and an OPS+ of 128, which would have led the team if he had enough at-bats. The question mark for Carpenter is whether his defense will be adequate. In 19 games in the corner outfield spots, he compiled -1 defensive runs saved.
Ryan Kreidler/Kody Clemens: Both players should have the defensive ability to play in the big leagues -- they both posted positive defensive runs saved in their limited opportunities. How their bats develop will continue to determine whether they are future starters or utility players. Clemens added the ability to pitch in mop-up situations, logging seven innings with an ERA+ of 103, although he probably won’t be challenging his dad’s pitching records anytime soon (or ever).
Beau Brieske/Garrett Hill: These two late-round Draft picks (27th round in 2019 and 26th round in 2018, respectively) showed tremendous promise this season. One of them will probably end up in the back end of the Tigers’ rotation for 2023 while the other works out of the bullpen. The early edge for the starting role goes to Brieske, and Hill has already shown an ability to work out of the ‘pen.
Roster Bubble:
Victor Reyes: The former Rule 5 pick has not developed as the Tigers had hoped. He has proved to be a useful fourth or fifth outfielder, but the consistency with the bat has never developed. 2022 saw Reyes produce a slash line of .254/.289/.362 with an OPS+ of 89. He is a candidate to be DFA’d this offseason.
Willi Castro: Originally an infielder, Castro has put himself on the radar as a super utility player with his defensive play in the outfield. He still needs to improve his walk rate (only 3.8 percent in 2022) and his overall contact rate. While he is not in line to be a starter next year, he played himself into a Spring Training competition for a utility spot.
Harold Castro: “Hittin’ Harold” was one of the most consistent Tigers hitters this season. He is a high contact hitter who can play a number of positions defensively. Castro also showed a propensity for being able to both hit with two strikes as well as come through in clutch situations. He will most likely be on the Tigers’ roster in 2023.
Jeimer Candelario: This season is one Candelario would like to forget. After tying for the Major League lead with 42 doubles in 2021 and posting excellent offensive and defensive numbers, 2022 saw him regress in all areas of his game. Candelario is now squarely on the hot seat with the potential to be DFA’d. If he stays on the roster until Spring Training, he will need to show he has recaptured the form that made him look like a foundational piece in 2021.
Joe Underhill is a high school administrator and diehard baseball fan and fan of the city of Detroit. Joe currently writes for www.tigstown.com. You can follow Joe on Twitter @TransplantedDet.