Tag Archives: Justin Verlander

2018 MLB Season Preview: Houston Astros

The Houston Astros did everything right last season and won the World Series. They were arguably the best team from beginning to end.

Houston didn’t stand pat hoping the current squad was good enough to win another championship. They went out and traded for another arm (starter Gerrit Cole) to bolster what was already one of the best rotations in the Majors.

The AL West is always a competitive race. Nearly every team in the division made big moves this offseason. It will be hard for Houston to repeat last year’s success against an improved Angels and Mariners rosters.

Can the Astros repeat and win back-to-back rings?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Houston Astros.

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2018 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 150 Starting Pitchers

We tackle the starting pitching position in our fantasy baseball rankings.

There are plenty elite arms to go around this season. Starting pitching is deep due to the Majors having so many guys who who are strikeout-prone. There is a premium on Wins and ERA, so those guys will go higher in most drafts.

How will Yu Darvish perform in his first season in Chicago?

Are there any young prospects out there worth a late draft pick?

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

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2017 MLB Season Preview: Detroit Tigers

Nearly every expert predicted the Detroit Tigers would battle the Royals for the AL Central title last year. The Royals fell off a cliff, but the Tigers still put up a little fight for the division. The Indians ended up running away with it by winning 94 games.

The Tigers missed a Wild Card spot by three games. I blame the back-end of their starting rotation for them missing the postseason. Their bats were alive and even Justin Verlander looked like his old self.

I thought the Tigers would make a few big moves this offseason, but their biggest transaction was trading for a platoon-option centerfielder Mikie Mahtook.

Here is the 2017 MLB season preview for the Detroit Tigers.

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2016 MLB Season Preview: Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers went from AL Central division winners in 2014 to basement dwellers within a calendar year. Al Avila took over as general manager and spent the offseason correcting some of the wrongs former GM Dave Dombrowski made.

The Tigers have more firepower on their roster right now than the roster that made it to the World Series a few years ago. That’s a scary thought…but their starting rotation isn’t up to that level.

Can Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera play in more than 120 games this season?

Here is the 2016 MLB season preview for the Detroit Tigers.

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2015 MLB Team Preview: Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers won the AL Central in 2014, but Kansas City was the team to make the most noise in the postseason. Miguel Cabrera has broken down late in the season in back-to-back years. He had surgery this offseason to fix his nagging ankle injury.

The Tigers let former Cy Young winner Max Scherzer walk, but added Yoenis Cespedes this offseason. He is expected to further protect Victor Martinez and Cabrera in the lineup. Detroit should light up the scoreboard this season.

Can Detroit’s bullpen hold up this season? Will Joe Nathan keep the closer job for the entire year?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Detroit Tigers.

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2014 MLB Un-All-Star Team

It has become a yearly tradition that we look at all the former MLB All-Stars that aren’t having stellar years.

The season is a little more than half over and it’s not too late for some of these players to bounce back and turn their seasons around.

Since I’m an active fantasy baseball owner, it didn’t take me long to make this list. A few of these guys were on my teams early this season, but were quickly dropped after a few weeks of bad numbers. I spent most of my time just baffled that some of these guys were actually All-Stars at one point.

The old benchmark for an All-Star was thrown out with the bathwater when Bud Selig decided each team must have one representative in the All-Star Game.

I omitted all the former All-Star pitchers that are currently out recovering from Tommy John surgery. I tried not to add position players who suffered a major injury, but decided to include them if they had over 100 at-bats this season (sorry, Prince Fielder).

Here is our 2014 MLB Un-All-Star team.

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Can Detroit Win AL Central With Verlander Struggling?

Justin Verlander has been in the running for the Cy Young award in nearly every season for the better part of a decade. In the span of his career, the Detroit Tigers have went from worst to first in the AL Central. They couldn’t have done it without his dominant pitching.

Things aren’t going so well for Verlander this season. He currently has a record of 6-7 with a 4.98 ERA. Detroit is only leading Kansas City by a half game in the AL Central. While the official MLB Futures betting lines have the Detroit Tigers in contention to take the AL Central Division, I am no longer comfortable with their position in the top spot as the Royals look to make their move on them.

Matthew Leach of MLB.com wrote an in-depth article breaking down Verlander’s problems this season. Leach opines that he shouldn’t be breaking down at 31 years old. As a power pitcher, he should actually be firmly in his prime. His velocity has taken a hit and he’s even having issues against players the second and third time through the order. This is new territory for Verlander.

What’s going on with Detroit? What should we expect from them going down the stretch?

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers were one groin injury away from winning the World Series last year. Miguel Cabrera’s injury couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Even with Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander having down years (Verlander still managed to land Kate Upton, so much respect), they still won the AL Central.

Detroit made some big moves this offseason. They traded Fielder to Texas for Ian Kinsler and bolstered their bullpen by signing closer Joe Nathan. They’ll miss Jhonny Peralta, Omar Infante and Doug Fister, but they are replacing them with above average talent. The impact of losing them shouldn’t hurt them much. The AL Central isn’t a hard division to win this year.

Can Max Scherzer repeat last year’s Cy Young performance if Verlander has another average season?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Detroit Tigers.

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2013 MLB Team Preview: Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers have one of the most talented pitchers in the Majors (Justin Verlander), one of the best power hitters in the game (Prince Fielder) and the reigning AL Most Valuable Player (Miguel Cabrera)…so the AL Central should be easy to win, right? Kind of.

After Verlander, the rest of the Tigers starting rotation are inconsistent. When Verlander started, the Tigers were 21-12. In games without him, Detroit was only 67-62.

Will the Tigers go forward with their current rotation or will they make a few trades?

Victor Martinez is back from his knee injury. Will be produce at the same level as 2011, or has he lost a step?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the Detroit Tigers. Continue reading →