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Going into the 2016 MLB season, many had questions about the Detroit Tigers‘ starting rotation. Well, nearly three full months into the year, it would be fair to say that the Tigers’ rotation hasn’t exactly been elite.
Right now, the Tigers’ rotation ranks 19th in baseball with a 4.72 ERA. In the month of June, they started out strong, but now have a 5.05 ERA for the month.
Earlier on this year, Jordan Zimmermann was looking like an ace at the top of the rotation, going 7-2 with a 2.52 ERA over his first nine starts. In five outings since returning from a groin injury, however, he has gone 2-2 with a 6.52 ERA.
The 33-year-old Justin Verlander has been having a rather up-and-down season as well. Verlander got off to a slow start, posting a 6.49 ERA over his first six starts, but then went on to post a sparkling 1.93 ERA over his next seven. However, although it is mostly due to a rough outing against the Cleveland Indians, he has now posted a whopping 6.75 ERA over his past three outings.
The Tigers have also had plenty of trouble at the back end of the rotation. After briefly returning to the mix, the Tigers have now moved Anibal Sanchez back to the bullpen, which is a role he excelled in earlier in the month. Mike Pelfrey has been pitching a bit better as of late, but is still only 2-7 with a 5.02 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP.
Clearly, the brightest spot in the Tigers’ rotation lately has been the emergence of Michael Fulmer. The 23-year-old has gone an incredible 7-2 with a 2.40 ERA and an 1.16 WHIP to begin his big league career. If Daniel Norris can begin pitching the way that most believe he is capable of, he and Fulmer could be an extremely exciting young duo for years to come.
Although there have certainly been positives for the Tigers’ starting rotation this year, it has lacked consistency to say the very least. If the Tigers are going to get back into the battle for a playoff spot, they will need to get more from their starting rotation.
Overall Grade: C-
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