The Detroit Tigers hired Chris Fetter away from his pitching coach position with the University of Michigan Wolverines baseball program. He had been with the Wolverines for three seasons in the pitching coach role when he was added to the Tigers staff.
A.J. Hinch opted to bring in Chris Fetter to try his hand with a big-league pitching staff, and needless to say, after his first season, things are starting to look mighty good for Detroit Tigers pitching. He’s been exceptional with player development and working to refine things for the team’s current staff.
One of the Tigers’ biggest issues recently has been the team’s bullpen, or lack thereof. However, Fetter got things back on track and has seen the team’s bullpen put up remarkable numbers compared to what the team has seen in prior seasons.
Fetter’s a well-versed baseball mind who knows his stuff. It’s a rich mix of analytical knowledge with physical knowledge as well. Whether it’s reading data from Trackman or data capture technology like that or working to refine a pitcher’s mechanics from experience itself, he’s done it all.
He’s helped piece together a pitching staff with some really successful arms. Fetter’s work has exponentially helped the Tigers, and they would be screwed over if they lose him. Pitching coaches are available, but Fetter has been impeccable and needs to be kept around, avoiding losing him to any other opportunities.
Chris Fetter leaving the Tigers to return to Michigan would be detrimental to the pitching staff.
Recent news from the Wolverines baseball program has shown that head coach Erik Bakich is on his way out, heading to the Clemson University Tigers baseball program to be the team’s head coach. It’s a full-circle move for Bakich, who was a former volunteer coach for Clemson in his early days.
On the other hand, the Wolverines will be left to look for a new head coach for their program. The early options that have been reported are Brandon Inge, their current volunteer coach, and Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter. It seems like a great gig, in theory, for Fetter.
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Fetter would be able to dominate the pitching staff at the college level, and bringing in a pitching coach who adds to his philosophies as a pitching-minded guy could make for an interesting staff. On top of that, he would get the chance to try his hand at the head coach gig.
But, Fetter leaving the Tigers organization would be a real detriment. The Tigers’ major issues are on the offensive side of the ball, and the team’s pitching has been the one steady area besides the injuries. Fetter’s impressive job thus far has not gone unnoticed; even Hinch has spoken about the success they’ve seen from the pitching staff, tipping the cap to the man behind the success.
Losing out on Fetter’s knowledge would make the team’s pitching staff suffer big time. Even if the team finds another pitching coach who has success, it will take time for him to get things rolling as Fetter has done, and the Tigers do not have the time to go through that change with the pitching staff.
If the Tigers continue to post losses left and right, Fetter’s inkling to make the return to the college ranks will likely grow higher and higher. While it would be very interesting to see how he fares as a head coach for the Wolverines, he needs to stick with the Tigers.
As the Tigers continue to work through the rebuild, having Fetter around will only continuously help the team’s pitching staff. The bottom line is that the Tigers cannot afford to lose Fetter.
