The 2007 Tigers Baseball Preview
The 2007 Detroit Tigers Will Not Return to the World Series.
Was it lightning in a bottle? Or were the 2006 Detroit Tigers laying the foundations for baseball's next dynasty? This 2007 MLB Preview takes a look at the Motown Nine.
The 2007 Tigers Starting Rotation
This team is built on pitching. Kenny Rogers went 17-8 with a 3.86 ERA in 2006. He also dominated the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of the World Series. Rogers turned 42 years old during the off-season, and one can only wonder how effective he can be this year. On the other hand, the Gambler has won 75 games over the last five seasons (only Zito and Halladay have won more), and he seems to be improving with age.
Even if Rogers slips, the Tigers still have the best young rotation in the Majors backing him up. 2006 Rookie of the Year and fellow 17-game winner Justin Verlander returns. The big righty flamethrower, whose fastball regularly tops 100 MPH, is ready to become the number one starter if Rogers stumbles.
In 2003, Jeremy Bonderman and Mike Maroth lost 40 games between them. Last year, Bonderman broke through with a 14-8 record, and Maroth (5-2, 4.19 ERA) was on his way to having a good season before he went down with bone chips in his elbow. Bonderman is just 23 years old and will continue to get better. Maroth is still a question mark, but if he stays healthy, he could be one of the best number 4 or 5 starters in the American League.
The 2007 Tigers Bullpen is Fantastic
Joel Zumaya (3-1, 1.94 ERA), Jamie Walker (2.81 ERA, only 8 walks all year) and Fernando Rodney (7-4, 3.52 ERA) formed a great middle relief corps last season. Look for the 2007 Detroit Tigers to move the flame-throwing Zumaya into the closer role by mid-season. Although Todd Jones did a fine job in ‘06, Jim Leyland cannot keep Zumaya and his 102 MPH fastball in a set-up role very much longer.
The 2007 Tigers Offense Needs One More Bat
The 2007 Detroit Tigers lineup is a bit lacking. Pudge Rodriguez is 35 and his production will continue to slide in 2007. After career years in 2006, don’t expect Craig Monroe, Brandon Inge and Marcus Thames to deliver repeat performances in 2007.
Ultimately, the Tigers will go as far as veteran sluggers Magglio Ordonez and Gary Sheffield take them. Ordonez is a virtual lock for 30 homers and 100 RBI, and Sheffield is one of the best hitters the game has ever seen. But he is 38 years old, and he did miss almost all of last season with a wrist injury, so Tiger fans can’t realistically expect him to put up the incredible numbers he has delivered throughout his career. But Sheffield is one of a kind. So don’t count him out. If this team wants to beat out the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central and get back to the World Series, however, they might need to trade a promising arm for another big bat.
Prediction: This team caught lightning in a bottle last year. The pitching will continue to impress, but without another offensive threat, the 2007 Detroit Tigers will have trouble getting back to the Fall Classic.
Record: 89-73 (Second Place in the AL Central).
That's your 2007 MLB Preview for the Detroit Tigers. Check out the 2007 MLB Previews for main AL competition, including The Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
