Detroit Tigers Should Be Strong Defensive Team In 2016

Out of all of the things that went wrong for the Detroit Tigers last season, there were actually quite a few positives as well. One of the bright spots for the Tigers was that they were a pretty good defensive club, posting a team UZR/150 of 4.1, which ranked fourth in the American League. They should be pretty good on defense once again in 2016.

As far as the infield goes, everything figures to look exactly the same with Miguel Cabrera at first base, Ian Kinsler at second base, Nick Castellanos at third and Jose Iglesias at shortstop. On the corners, Cabrera does very respectable work at first, and while Castellanos’ glove does remain a bit of a concern, he did show improvement last year and hopefully can continue to do so.

Up the middle, Kinsler and Iglesias are a fantastic double-play combination. Since coming to the Tigers, Kinsler leads all second basemen in MLB with 39 defensive runs saved over the past two years. Iglesias can be an absolute acrobat at short.

The biggest change from last season is actually in the outfield. For the first four months of last year, the Tigers had Yoenis Cespedes in left field, and they now have Justin Upton, who was signed to a reported six-year, $132.75 million deal over the offseason. Upton may not quite have Cespedes’ arm, but he did have a 2.8 UZR/150 with eight defensive runs saved for the San Diego Padres last year.

On the other outfield corner, it is also worth noting that J.D. Martinez did a great job after being converted to the Tigers’ full-time right fielder last year (he split time between right and left in 2014). Center field may actually be a tiny bit of a concern, as neither Anthony Gose nor Cameron Maybin had great defensive metrics last year, but they both have the speed and athleticism to improve.

Behind the plate, the Tigers have 25-year-old James McCann, who had a 41 percent caught stealing rate last year. Either Bryan Holaday or Jarrod Saltalamacchia would serve as a very capable backup as well.

Although defense may not be the first thing one thinks of when the Tigers come to mind, expect this team to flash some leather in 2016. It is a defense that Detroit’s pitchers should love pitching in front of on most days.