DETROIT TIGERS
WAR: 26.3
WAR/162 Pace: 66.6
Rank all time: 3rd-best
Season Team WAR/162
1927 Yankees 71.4
1939 Yankees 67.4
2013 Tigers 66.6
1905 Giants 65.8
1931 Yankees 64.7
1942 Yankees 64.0
1998 Braves 63.6
1969 Orioles 62.9
2001 Mariners 62.7
1902 Pirates 62.3
The Tigers are on pace to win a perfectly reasonable 91 games. That should be enough to get them into the playoffs as Central division champions. But by WAR, they’re on pace to be one of the very greatest teams in baseball history, right up there with the best of the Yankees and eclipsing the 116-win 2001 Mariners with ease. When you watch these Tigers, you might not get the vibe that you’re watching all-time greatness. But by the numbers, that’s what they feature, eschewing the stars-and-scrubs approach in favor of stars-and-more-stars. The position players are carried by the obvious slugger, but the rotation has been unbelievable, in the present context and in the all-time context.
Best players
Miguel Cabrera (+4.0 WAR)
Anibal Sanchez (+3.4)
Justin Verlander (+3.0)
Max Scherzer (+3.0)
Doug Fister (+2.7)
Worst players
Victor Martinez (-1.1 WAR)
Alex Avila (-0.3)
Jose Valverde (-0.3)
Ramon Santiago (-0.3)
Brayan Villarreal (-0.2)
Why they’ll be an all-time great
The rotation is obscene. Dave wrote about this at the end of May. With Rick Porcello suddenly striking batters out, all five of the starters would be top starters on other teams, and Drew Smyly isn’t bad as insurance. Cabrera, in his prime, is one of the best hitters ever, and Prince Fielder is obviously dangerous, and look at those performances from Avila and Martinez. Avila stands to improve, and so does Martinez, and if they don’t, the Tigers could make roster upgrades as they think about the playoffs. Nick Castellanos appears to have figured out Triple-A, clearing the way for him to figure out the majors, and that’s good young support.
Why they won’t be an all-time great
Sanchez has now missed a start with shoulder problems, and five-man rotations usually don’t hold up over full seasons. More baseballs should start flying over fences with the Tigers in the field, and there’s no quicker way for an ERA to rise. Jhonny Peralta probably isn’t an actual MVP candidate, and we have to think about regression to the mean. The Tigers have been extremely good, and that calls for probable regression. It’s hard to be this good for six months.
by Jeff Sullivan
WAR: 26.3
WAR/162 Pace: 66.6
Rank all time: 3rd-best
Season Team WAR/162
1927 Yankees 71.4
1939 Yankees 67.4
2013 Tigers 66.6
1905 Giants 65.8
1931 Yankees 64.7
1942 Yankees 64.0
1998 Braves 63.6
1969 Orioles 62.9
2001 Mariners 62.7
1902 Pirates 62.3
The Tigers are on pace to win a perfectly reasonable 91 games. That should be enough to get them into the playoffs as Central division champions. But by WAR, they’re on pace to be one of the very greatest teams in baseball history, right up there with the best of the Yankees and eclipsing the 116-win 2001 Mariners with ease. When you watch these Tigers, you might not get the vibe that you’re watching all-time greatness. But by the numbers, that’s what they feature, eschewing the stars-and-scrubs approach in favor of stars-and-more-stars. The position players are carried by the obvious slugger, but the rotation has been unbelievable, in the present context and in the all-time context.
Best players
Miguel Cabrera (+4.0 WAR)
Anibal Sanchez (+3.4)
Justin Verlander (+3.0)
Max Scherzer (+3.0)
Doug Fister (+2.7)
Worst players
Victor Martinez (-1.1 WAR)
Alex Avila (-0.3)
Jose Valverde (-0.3)
Ramon Santiago (-0.3)
Brayan Villarreal (-0.2)
Why they’ll be an all-time great
The rotation is obscene. Dave wrote about this at the end of May. With Rick Porcello suddenly striking batters out, all five of the starters would be top starters on other teams, and Drew Smyly isn’t bad as insurance. Cabrera, in his prime, is one of the best hitters ever, and Prince Fielder is obviously dangerous, and look at those performances from Avila and Martinez. Avila stands to improve, and so does Martinez, and if they don’t, the Tigers could make roster upgrades as they think about the playoffs. Nick Castellanos appears to have figured out Triple-A, clearing the way for him to figure out the majors, and that’s good young support.
Why they won’t be an all-time great
Sanchez has now missed a start with shoulder problems, and five-man rotations usually don’t hold up over full seasons. More baseballs should start flying over fences with the Tigers in the field, and there’s no quicker way for an ERA to rise. Jhonny Peralta probably isn’t an actual MVP candidate, and we have to think about regression to the mean. The Tigers have been extremely good, and that calls for probable regression. It’s hard to be this good for six months.
by Jeff Sullivan
