Grading Detroit Tigers' Offense Through June

Heading into the 2016 MLB campaign, many felt that the Detroit Tigers‘ offense held great potential. The Tigers already had a formidable lineup, and the addition of slugger Justin Upton only appeared to make it better on paper.

So far this year, the numbers for the Tigers’ offense indeed look pretty good. The Tigers currently rank fourth in the American League in batting average (.269), fourth in on-base percentage (.328), third in slugging percentage (.441) and fifth in home runs (101). The Tigers certainly have a few players who are having incredibly nice years as well.

At the top of the lineup, Ian Kinsler is having one of his best seasons to date, and the fact that he has regained his power swing seems to have taken everyone by surprise. Since Cameron Maybin rejoined the team in mid-May, he has been doing excellent work as well, hitting .346/.407/.404.

Of course, superstar Miguel Cabrera is looking like he has a strong chance to have yet another season in which he notches 30-plus home runs and 100-plus RBIs as well. Another pleasant surprise has been how well Victor Martinez has been able to bounce back from a tough 2015 campaign, hitting .322/.367/.530 with 14 home runs.

Third baseman Nick Castellanos is having the breakout season that many have been waiting for, hitting .302/.337/.526 with 14 homers. Although Upton got off to a rough start, his bat has really begun to heat up in June.

The Tigers’ offense was recently dealt a major blow with the injury to J.D. Martinez, however. Of course, the slugging Steven Moya is now with the club, but Martinez has simply been a key player ever since joining the Tigers organization in 2014.

For as good as the Tigers’ offense can be, it is certainly worthwhile to note that they have been slowed down at times by good pitching. Over this past weekend, they were outscored 22-8 by the Cleveland Indians. They were also shut out for the sixth time of the season in that series.

While the Tigers’ offense is certainly packed with talent, there is no denying that it has fallen flat at times. There is room for improvement going forward.

Overall Grade: B+