Detroit’s New Ace

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As one of the oldest Major League Baseball franchises in existence, the Detroit Tigers have a long and storied history. And even though that the Tigers franchise has been home to some of the game’s most feared sluggers, their pitchers haven’t been too shabby either. Hooks Dauss pitched for the Tigers from 1912-1926 and his 223 victories are still the most in franchise history. In 1968, starting pitcher Denny McLain had a season for the ages as he won 31 games which is still a single-season franchise record. In the 1980’s, starting pitcher Jack Morris was the engine for the Tigers starting rotation which included him helping Detroit win the World Series in 1984. Recent Tigers pitching history has been dominated by starting pitcher Justin Verlander who has won 165 games during his 12-year career in Detroit, which also includes him winning the American League MVP and Cy Young Awards in 2011 with a record of 24-4. And as Verlander is now 33-years of age, he finds himself making way for a new phenomenon in the Tigers rotation.

Last July saw the Tigers have a fire sale as starting pitcher David Price was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, and outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to the New York Mets. In sending Cespedes to the Mets, the Tigers received starting pitcher Michael Fulmer as part of the compensation. Fulmer was a first-round pick of the Mets in 2011 and he was in the process of working his way up in their system. But when former Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski was waving the white towel last July, he was able to get a power arm from a team that was desperate for a power bat.

Michael Fulmer

Fulmer didn’t begin the 2016 Major League Baseball season with the Tigers as he was still in the minors with their Triple-A affiliate the Toledo Mud Hens. But Fulmer was ready to make his MLB debut on April 29 against the Minnesota Twins. And once Fulmer had left Target Field in Minneapolis, he had given up a pair of runs in 5 innings of work as the Tigers defeated the Twins 9-2. Fulmer had his stumbles over his next few starts, but he has gotten into a rhythm since late May which includes him putting together a string of outings where he pitched into the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, and Los Angeles Angels respectively. Since surrendering 5 runs to the Baltimore Orioles on May 15, Fulmer has not given up more than two runs in a contest since then. Fulmer has stepped up when the Tigers have needed it most which includes him going six innings this past Wednesday night while only surrendering a pair of runs to the Cleveland Indians in the Tigers 12-2 victory. The victory was important for the Tigers as they had lost their first 11 games to the Indians this season and it gives them renewed life in the American League Central race where they currently find themselves trailing the first-place Cleveland team by 6.5 games.

In 13 starts with the Tigers, Fulmer is 9-2 with an earned run average of 2.11. And although that Fulmer didn’t begin his year with the Tigers, he is still tied for the club lead in victories. Albeit that Fulmer is a rookie, his number are up there with the top pitchers in the American League, and he made a compelling case to be an All-Star. But as of now Fulmer has been snubbed, even though there is the possibility that he could be a substitute for an injured player, or a pitcher who would be ineligible for the game next Tuesday if he throws on Sunday.

Fulmer’s biggest contribution to the Tigers is that he is becoming the ace of the Tigers staff as Verlander’s star is beginning to fade. Fulmer has an electric fastball that hits 96 miles per hour on the radar gun, and he can mix it up with a slider, sinker, and changeup as well. Fulmer can paint the inside corner on batters, but he also knows how to blow hitters away with his fastball which should make him one of Major League Baseball’s premier pitchers for the coming years.

Verlander has been one of the best power pitchers of this era which includes his 2,058 career strikeouts are second in Tigers franchise history. But Verlander’s power arm is beginning to fade and he is no longer the ace of Detroit’s rotation. Verlander can still be a quality pitcher, but he can pass the torch to Fulmer as far as being the team’s ace.

It isn’t that often that two teams can both come out as winners in the same trade, but that is the case in what the Mets and Tigers did last year. Cespedes was the cleanup hitter that the Mets sorely needed as he helped them win the National League Pennant last October. And although that the Tigers finished 2015 with their first losing season since 2008, they have turned things around this year as they’re in the wild card race in the American League, while also getting themselves a future stud pitcher in Fulmer.

Sources: Baseball-reference.com, Brooksbaseball.net

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By | 2016-07-07T17:52:48+00:00 July 8th, 2016|Categories: Major League Baseball|Tags: , , |0 Comments

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