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Detroit Tigers midseason progress report

Thu 12th, July 2007

(Sports Network) - The reigning American League champs are once again in the driver's seat in the AL Central standings, and there's no telling what's in store for the second half of the 2007 season.

At this year's All-Star game, the Detroit Tigers sent five players in addition to manager Jim Leyland. Three of those players started the game. Just prior to the All-Star break, the Tigers extended their current win streak to five games by sweeping the Boston Red Sox, owners of the best record in baseball. Presently, Detroit trails Boston by just a half-game for the top record in the majors. Nevertheless, the Tigers have little room to pat themselves on the back, as the feisty Cleveland Indians are just one game off the pace in the division. Still, Leyland has plenty of reasons to feel encouraged about the second half. For one, no team in baseball is hitting better than his Tigers this season. Detroit leads the majors in team batting average (.290), runs (512), hits (891), doubles (200) and RBI (496). Right fielder Magglio Ordonez is eyeing a batting title, and perhaps an MVP award with his .367 average. Second baseman Placido Polanco, hitting .335, is having a career year at the plate. His double play mate, shortstop Carlos Guillen, is hitting .325. First baseman Sean Casey (.300) continues to produce in his 10th major league season. But perhaps the most integral piece has been the one the front office reeled in from the Yankees in the offseason. The union of Gary Sheffield to the middle of the Tigers' lineup has been like a match made in heaven. His presence batting out of the three-hole has given opposing managers fits, and it has often given pitchers an early exit to the showers. Sheffield's batting average was still below the Mendoza Line in early May, but he has since adjusted to his new digs in Detroit. At the moment, Sheffield has his average up to .303 while leading the team in homers with 21. While it was the pitching staff that carried the Tigers to a World Series berth in 2006, it has been the offense that has led the way in '07. Still, the Tigers are armed with one of the deepest and most formidable pitching staffs in the majors, when healthy. Justin Verlander, the 24-year-old who earlier this season tossed the franchise's first no hitter in decades, is a legitimate Cy Young candidate with his 3.14 ERA and 10-3 record. Jeremy Bonderman (3.48 ERA) simply does not lose, as evidenced by his 9-1 mark. Youngster Andrew Miller (4-2, 3.31) has shined in his six starts, and if he continues along his current path, would give Leyland three reliable left-handers in the starting rotation. Lefty Nate Robertson, who compiled a 3.84 ERA in 200-plus innings a year ago, has pitched more like his old self since returning from a mid-June DL stint. And 42-year-old southpaw Kenny Rogers has pitched nothing short of lights out in his three starts since returning from shoulder surgery, picking up three wins while posting a 1.04 ERA. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - On any given night, there is a good chance the name that jumps out from the scorecard will be that of Ordonez. A hitter could go through a "hot streak" for six games and still not put up the type of numbers Ordonez has averaged through three months. The man simply camps out on base, as his .446 on-base percentage speaks for itself. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT - The bullpen has had its struggles. Setup man Joel Zumaya was lost for the lion's share of the season with a ruptured tendon in his finger. Fernando Rodney is back on the DL. Closer Todd Jones has a 1-5 record, four blown saves and an unsightly 5.20 ERA. Whichever GMs across the league are shopping relievers, the Tigers' front office is listening. SECOND HALF PREDICTION - General manager David Dombrowski's number-one priority is adding bullpen help, although that is the top priority of roughly half the GMs in the league. Still, if the season were to end today, the Tigers would have to be considered one of the favorites to win the World Series. There are virtually no holes in the lineup. Verlander and Bonderman continue to blossom right before the organization's eyes, and the return of the ageless Rogers can almost be considered a major trade-deadline acquisition. The Tigers not only have a playoff-tested roster, but also a manager who has been around the block once or twice. Cleveland and Detroit are threatening to make the AL Central a two-team race, and while the Indians are certainly poised to hang around down the stretch, it's tough to imagine them being able to snatch that top spot away from the Tigers. Barring any major injuries, the Tigers should be right there once again in the World Series picture come October.