The Sequel

As promised yesterday, we will be previewing the other 2 division winners (yes, i know Texas has not technically wrapped it up yet but with a magic number of 2 i think I'm going to go ahead and say its over)

First up are those Mighty Mighty Tigers from Detroit
Lineup:
Before the season I did not think the Tigers were going to compete for the division mainly because I didn't think the offense was going to be very good. Oh sure Miguel Cabrera might be the best hitter in the AL and while Victor Martinez might not be able to throw out anyone from behind the plate with his noodle for an arm, he could hit. But beyond those two I didn't see anything.

Well Alex Avila and Johnny Peralta have stepped up to help out the V-Mart and Miggy in a big way.
Most people who have been following baseball probably think that Avila has been a pretty good hitter this season. What they probably don't realize is that he might be one of the best hitting catchers in the game this season. He has gotten on base nearly 40% of the time and has bopped almost 20 homers!
And Peralta after being left for dead the past two seasons has suddenly remembered where his bat is and is playing better then he did in Cleveland when we all got excited about his potential.
The biggest question with this offense is can those big 4 carry them in the playoffs?

The Bullpen:
Jose Valverde won't make the end of the game look easy but he'll get the job done.
The rest of the bullpen is filled with power arms that can get the big strikeout when needed.
The biggest question in this pen will be how Joaqin Benoit preforms. Since struggling in the beginning of the season he has really turned it on here as the playoffs get closer. He has not allowed a run since August 2nd! If he can shut down the 8th that will go a long way towards helping the Tigers win.

Starters:
This is why I really like the Tigers this year.
Everyone knows that Justin Verlander has been absolutely dominating this year.
He can beat anyone any day and he doesn't need the bullpen to finish games for him.
These are the kind of pitchers that really shine during October!

What most people don't realize is that since Doug Fister came over from Seattle he has been just as dominating! While he may not post the big strikeout numbers like Verlander, Fister has a 2.02 ERA! The man just does not walk anyone (he has walked only 5 batters in 10 games as a Tiger)!

The big X factor for the Tigers though is Max Scherzer... he has absolutely filthy stuff... when he can control it. If Max can give the Tigers consistent starts (not great but not where he blows up and gives up 5 runs in the 1st) this team could win the American League!

Prediction:
This is a team that no one wants to face in the 1st round and for good reason. I see them making it out of the 1st round but I don't think that they will make it to the World Series. The pitching is good and will get better next season but I think they need to add a top of the lineup on base machine to grow next year!

Due to time constraints I will have to finish the Ranger preview tonight.