When it comes to the Detroit Tigers‘ spring training battles, most of the attention has been centered around the backup catching position, the No. 5 spot in the rotation and the final two spots in the bullpen. Another area some fans have been keeping an eye on is center field.
The Tigers have a pair of players in Cameron Maybin and Anthony Gose who will be vying for the position. They have another center fielder in Wynton Bernard on their 40-man roster, but he likely faces long odds of making the team this spring, even though he has put up back-to-back outstanding seasons in the minor leagues.
Right now, the chances of Maybin and Gose both being on the opening day roster look quite good. It is possible that one of them could pull ahead and earn the starting job, but the Tigers could also simply decide to use an even platoon. Either way, Detroit should be pretty well set for this position going into 2016.
Although Maybin, who was a first-round draft pick back in 2005, hasn’t evolved into the superstar many thought he would be, the soon-to-be 29-year-old is still a very solid MLB player. Plus, he arguably had the best offensive season of his career in 2015, hitting a solid .267/.327/.370 with 10 homers and 59 RBIs for the Atlanta Braves.
Although Gose tailed off down the stretch last year, he had a great first half for the Tigers, hitting .282/.325/.388 through 272 plate appearances. The 25-year-old could still have some breakout potential, and he is also one of the few left-handed hitters the Tigers have.
With all of the powerful bats in the Tigers’ lineup, Maybin and Gose shouldn’t exactly have to tear the cover off of the ball either. What they will need to do, however, is play solid defense, especially in spacious Comerica Park.
Admittedly, it is a tad concerning that neither player had great defensive metrics last year (Maybin was pegged at minus-16 defensive runs saved and Gose had minus-12). Nevertheless, they are both speedy, athletic players and should be able to bounce back in that regard.
In all likelihood, a Maybin/Gose combination will be a more than adequate solution for the Tigers in center field this coming season.
