Believe it or not, we are already nearly to the first quarter point of the 2017 MLB season. Our Detroit Tigers continue to hover around the .500 mark, which we all know will not be enough to carry them into the playoffs.
Up to this point, some players on the team have exceeded all expectations. At the time of this article, Alex Avila is hitting .346 with four home runs, while Jim Adduci, a call-up who has impressed, is hitting .318 in the 13 games he has played.
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Though guys like Avila and Adduci are playing above their capabilities so far, there are also a group of hitters who are yet to get going. Here is a list of three players who are about to catch fire for the Tigers.
Miguel Cabrera
At the time of this article, Miguel Cabrera is batting just .238 with four home runs. There is no question about it, Miggy has looked off so far this season. In fact, if you have watched him at the plate, you have probably seen him fooled more times this year that you would in an entire season as he is striking out nearly 25% of the time. But never fear, I have little doubt that Cabrera is about to break out in a big way. Do not be surprised at all to see his batting average sitting at around .300 one month from now.
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Ian Kinsler
Another Tigers veteran who has struggled out of the gate is Ian Kinsler. The Tigers second baseman is currently batting just .223 with very little power. After batting .288 with 28 bombs last season, there is no question that he still has plenty of gas in the tank. At the moment, Kinsler is only striking out 13.6% of the time and has a BABIP of .242 (Batting Average on Balls In Play) which is well below the league average. When taking those things into account, signs point to “Everyday” Ian getting things rolling sooner than later.
James McCann
Many Tigers fans were hoping to see catcher James McCann break out a bit this season and so far it has been a tale of two McCanns. First, the good. McCann has proven that he has the potential to hit 20+ home runs in this league as he already has seven bombs on the season. Unfortunately, those seven home runs account for nearly half of his 15 total hits on the season. When looking deeper into why he is batting just .179 on the season, his .148 BABIP sheds some light. To be honest, despite the home run surge, McCann has been a bit unlucky and that should even out as the season goes on.
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We all hope you’re right about Miggy. I just hope he is not playing hurt with a groin tear that hasn’t healed, or some personal issue.