The Pen is Mightier

 

Well, since 6 of the Tigers' Top 10 WAR earners at the moment come from the bullpen, I guess I should do a post on the Tigers bullpen. In a season where so much has gone wrong, this pen has been one of the most surprisingly consistent elements.

And the funny thing is, it's not the players you'd think who are leading this charge. It's not Andrew Chafin, who was a high-profile relief signing, or perennial All-Star Joe Jimenez, or Kyle Funkhouser and his fun name. It's a lot of low-key guys who are showing up now and surprising people. Will Vest has given up just 4 earned runs in 23 innings. Alex Lange has a 1.48 ERA in 26 appearances. Neither Lange nor Jason Foley have given up home runs this season. And the formative guys like Michael Fulmer, Wily Peralta and Jimenez are providing the structure that a normal bullpen would usually have, but the fact that all these new impressive guys are mixed in and doing well.

It also helps that Gregory Soto, who has a decent middle reliever/ninth inning man last year, has fully taken over the ninth and has 13 saves in 22 appearances. The Tigers aren't winning a ton of games, and with enough offensive weapons, there is a higher chance of a blowout than a tight game, but Soto has been pretty solid as a closing man so far. Plus, I don't think it's the kind of season that puts him in danger of being dealt to a competitor. There is a chance that Chafin, Fulmer, Jimenez and maybe even Lange might go at the end of next month, but I don't see them dealing Soto because he's such a formative farm piece. 

I just find it really funny that this is the bit that works from this team. I thought the rotation would be set, everyone's hurt. I thought the lineup would be a hit, nobody's hitting. So...good thing the bullpen's excellent this year.

Not much else to report. Harold Castro, a last-resort utility man, once again has to play a major role in this team. Torkelson, Schoop and Baez still aren't hitting. Kody Clemens is taking a lot longer to get going than his dad did. We can't seem to have a reality where readily-available prospects like Daz Cameron, Derek Hill and Akil Baddoo can all be healthy and playing well at the same time. It's all a mess, and I wish things were more consistent for this team, cause there's a lot of talent around. But...evidently there's more problems than simply just upgrading positions. 

Coming Tomorrow- A catcher who's fighting for a ticket out of his team.