ST Detroit Tigers: How Tigers are trying win now, cultivate future stars

Off-Topic Tavern
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https://sports.yahoo.com/detroit-tigers-trying-win-now-111127496.html

a few blurbs:

With a roster of young players, and another group pushing through the minor leagues, the Detroit Tigers are in an interesting position.

They have to keep one foot in the present — the other in the future. This teeter-totter dance plays out in just about every decision.

On Tuesday, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told Ty Madden one of the team’s top pitching prospects, that he will not make the Opening Day roster.
Neither will Jackson Jobe the top pitching prospect.
*“I’ll tell Jackson probably today,” Hinch said on Wednesday morning, moments before
It’s not, in any way, a surprise. Neither is ready for the big leagues.

Hinch wants these two prospects to get comfortable in the clubhouse and around the coaching staff. To see how the veterans prepare and train. To be in the morning meetings. To get comfortable throwing bullpens in front of big leaguers. To learn all the names and faces. To feel the vibe. To focus on everything other than trying to make the club.

Because, one day, they will.

One day they will need to feel comfortable when they walk into that clubhouse in Comerica Park.

Just not yet.

This shows how Hinch is honest and open with his players — honest to a fault. He is a master communicator, a master on getting the players to focus on the right things.

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Regarding position players:

“It’s going to be one of the youngest position playing groups in all of baseball,” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said Wednesday.

You know what happens with young players?

They struggle at times. It’s inevitable. We saw it with Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, and it’s bound to happen to Colt Keith and Justyn-Henry Malloy whenever they arrive.
And, shoot, it’s bound to happen to Parker Meadows, who has yet to play a full MLB season.
So this team has been built to try to minimize that.
“Coming into this year, we knew that we are going to have a lot of young hitters populating our lineup,” Harris said. “We should expect these young hitters to struggle at times. We should be expecting the offense to sputter at times.”

He has tried to build a strong pitching staff to keep games close when the young bats go cold.

And he brought in Mark Canha not just for what he might do in the games, but for his presence and influence on the young players.

“We have to create the right influences around them,” Harris said. “That’s why Mark Canha’s here.”

Canha, who turns 35 on Thursday, is entering his 10th major league season.

“He’s going to be that steady presence that helps them learn how to produce consistent, major league quality at-bats every night," Harris said.

At the same time, Harris didn’t want to bring in too many veterans.

He didn’t want to create any roadblocks for the other prospects in the minor leagues.

“We have to give these guys runway,” Harris said. “We have to commit to these young hitters because it’s in the best interest of the organization both in the short term and the long term.”

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The Tigers and Oakland Athletics were tied for 26th among the 30 teams with an 89 wRC+ last season. The 8.4% walk rate tied for 19th, while the 24.2% strikeout rate tied for 23rd. The Tigers posted a .686 OPS in the 2023 campaign, ahead of only the Chicago White Sox (.675) and Athletics (.669).
Simply put, the Tigers weren’t good enough on offense and didn’t score enough runs last season.

“Our at-bat quality can improve the most,” Harris said. “Coming into this year, we knew that we were going to have a lot of young hitters populating our lineup. We should expect these young hitters to struggle at times. We should be expecting the offense to sputter at times, so we tried to build a dynamic pitching staff around them to keep games close. It has never been harder for a young hitter to translate their minor league numbers into big-league performance, so we have to create the right influences around them. That’s why Mark Canha is here.”

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driving to florida in a little over a week and going to the monday spring training game. First time I’ve been to a spring training game in…44 years?

and I’m not going to know anyone on the team :slight_smile: tigers have done a real good job of killing my interest in baseball over the last decade.

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Now is the time to get back on the Tiger’s bandwagon in my opinion.
They have some good young hitters on the roster and close to being on the roster. Pitching staff could be good to very good.

Let me know, my office is in downtown lakeland about a mile from the stadium.
I’m in Barranquilla Columbia next week, but in town the next two weeks.
Can recommend a few local spots;
Harry’s excellent seafood restaurant downtown
Walkon’s is a chain, from Lousianna, good food good beer.
Swan Brewery, decent beer, excellent atmosphere.
Mojo’s downtown decent to good food, excellent bourbon selection.
1961 is the highend restaurant in Lakeland, again downtown.
Screamin Tuna, Sushi place across from my office, owner is a packer fan…lol
Revival, great liquor bar, strong bourbon/tequila/rum options No food but you can bring in pizza from Palace pizza
Descent brewery, next to Revival, decent beer

All of the above are downtown lakeland minus Walkon’s which is on the Northside.
Can give numerous recommendations for Tampa or Orlando depending where you are staying

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Thanks for the tips. I’m not a drinker but I do like the seafood!

I’m actually staying with the mil in fort pierce making the drive over for the game. doing a lot of driving probably. going to cape canaveral, maybe MAYBE driving to the keys but that’s a hike for a day trip.

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Harry’s is local
Walkon’s has some great seafood as well, portions are not small.

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Fangraphs with their top 100
(16)Jobe ~ Mayer is 69 for those of you still bitter
(36)Clark
(46) Keith
(48) Jung