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(Sports Network) - The Detroit Tigers enter the 2008 campaign with high expectations, as they kick off their season against the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game set at Comerica Park.

After heading back to the World Series for the first time in 19 years in 2006, the Tigers endured an injury-plagued campaign in 2007. Detroit still won 88 games, but found itself out of the postseason and eight games behind the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central.

So with last year's disappointment behind them, the Tigers made the biggest splash of the offseason by acquiring third baseman Miguel Cabrera and starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis from the Florida Marlins for a number of highly- touted prospects.

The move not only gives the Tigers perhaps the most feared lineup in the game, but also makes them the odds-on-favorite to win their first divisional crown since capturing the AL East in 1987.

Detroit is stacked from top-to-bottom. Cabrera will fill in nicely in a lineup that will include Curtis Granderson, Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen. Willis, meanwhile, will slot in as Detroit's fourth starter behind Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers and Jeremy Bonderman.

Granderson, who became just the second player in major league history last season with at least 30 doubles, 20 triples, 20 homers and 20 stolen bases, will open the season on the disabled list with a broken finger.

If there is one question mark, it surrounds Detroit's bullpen. Closer Todd Jones was pedestrian at best last season and Joel Zumaya will miss a good portion of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery. Fernando Rodney will also open the year on the DL.

There are no question marks surrounding this afternoon's starter, the right- handed Verlander, who followed up his scintillating Rookie of the Year campaign in 2006 by going 18-6 a year ago, while pitching to a 3.66 ERA.

Verlander, who gets his first Opening Day nod, has been excellent in his brief career against the Royals, posting a perfect 6-0 mark to go along with a 2.26 ERA in eight starts.

Fans in Kansas City, meanwhile, have had to watch all four of the division rivals play in the postseason over the last four years, while their club has finished last in the AL Central, dealt with front office unrest, managerial changes and a seemingly endless revolving door of failed players on the field.

Trey Hillman gets his first crack as a major league skipper in Kansas City this season after spending the last five seasons in Japan.

Hillman has already established that he will be a players' coach, which is quite the contrast from his predecessor Buddy Bell, who was as old-school as they come when it came to dealing with his team.

Offensively, this team has been putrid over the last couple of seasons. So, second year general manager Dayton Moore toyed with the idea of bringing Andruw Jones in, but settled on Jose Guillen. Guillen, of course, had some off the field issues to deal with this offseason, but should be a welcome addition in the middle of the order for Kansas City.

Guillen, who hit .290 with 23 homers and 99 RBI for Seattle last season, could still be looking at a 15-day suspension for his alleged use of performance- enhancing drugs, but has been granted a 10-day stay, meaning, of course, he will be in the lineup today.

Gil Meche will head a talented front end of the rotation that includes youngsters Brian Bannister and Zack Greinke.

Meche gets the call today, as he tries to improve upon his 9-13 mark from a year ago. Meche, though, was better than his record indicated and pitched to a 3.67 ERA and posted career-highs in most categories, despite getting the worst run support among regular AL starters. This will be his second straight Opening Day assignment.

The 29-year-old righty, who is in the second year of a five-year, $55 million deal, has faced the Tigers 14 times and is 6-4 against them with a 3.78 ERA.

Detroit, which will be opening a season against the Royals for the fifth time in franchise history, won 11 of its 18 matchups with the Royals last season and is 35-20 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign.

KC is 12-16 in its last 28 contests in Motown.