Detroit Tigers DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Detroit Tigers right-hander Alex Lange has struggled through his first two appearances of the spring after an inconsistent 2023 season, much of which was spent as the Tigers' closer. The 28-year-old has yielded four earned runs on five hits, including two homers, across just two innings of work. He does have five strikeouts against just one walk allowed in that time but he has surrendered a .455 batting average to this point in Grapefruit League action. It's an ominous start to the spring considering Lange was all over the map a season ago, struggling with free passes by way of a 15.6% BB%. He finished the season with a solid 3.68 ERA with 26 saves and a healthy 27.4% K%, and his 50.6% ground-ball rate helped limit home runs. However, with the Tigers looking to compete in the 2024 season and the additions of Andrew Chafin and Shelby Miller to their bullpen, along with internal closing candidates, Lange will be on a short leash despite likely beginning the season as the club's closer.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter (hamstring) notched a single in his spring training debut on Tuesday in a 3-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. He also fell just a few feet shy of an opposite-field home run to deep left-center field. The 26-year-old has been slowed by a hamstring issue this spring but appears to be a full go moving forward. Carpenter was an under-the-radar breakout hitter in the 2023 season, as he hit .278 with 20 home runs, six stolen bases, and an .811 OPS across 118 games played. Through his first 149 career big-league games, Carpenter has hit .273 with 26 home runs, helping him to a 122 wRC+ that grades out 22% superior to the league average. He is a quality fantasy asset that should provide solid power and some speed on the basepaths.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter (hamstring) is on track to play in his first Grapefruit League game on Tuesday since suffering a hamstring strain. Carpenter has been ramping up his running progression in camp and now feels good enough to return to spring training action. As long as the 26-year-old doesn't suffer a setback with his hammy, he should be good to go for Opening Day on March 28. Carpenter's big 2023 season with the Tigers means that he's expected to be a regular lineup addition in 2024. The left-handed-hitting outfielder batted .278 (116-for-418) with 20 homers, 64 RBI, six stolen bases and 57 runs, but he also finished the season in a big slump and shouldn't be expected to improve in just his second full major-league season in 2024.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez went 0-for-3 versus the New York Yankees on Sunday. Baez is now hitless in his first 11 at-bats with no walks in the Grapefruit League. Speaking earlier in the offseason, Baez noted that he strengthened his conditioning after dealing with back and core injuries in his first two seasons for the Tigers. The 31-year-old is certain to get plenty of playing time in Detroit this year, but much of that can be due to the six-year, $140 million deal that he signed, in which he is in year three of. Due to past success, Baez is always worth keeping an eye on, but outside of deeper leagues, the former MVP candidate can remain nothing more than a late-round dart throw or watch-list candidate.

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson played in more games (159) than any player on the team in 2023 and hit .233/.313/.446 with 31 home runs, 34 doubles, one triple, 94 RBI and 88 runs scored in his second major-league season. In early May, he was hitting .198 with only two home runs. He was worth only 1.4 fWAR at first base and his on-base percentage was only .313. Torkelson's minus-11 defensive runs saved was the worst total from any MLB first baseman since Miguel Cabrera and Chris Davis in 2017. The former first overall pick in 2020 has stuff he can work on, mainly his defense and getting on base more, but 2023 was a vast improvement over his rookie campaign. Torkelson could take another step forward in 2024 and already has elite raw power from the right side. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 11 fantasy first baseman.