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Tigers named Ryan Garko as the club’s Vice President of Player Development and Assistant GM

https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/05/20/deeper-discussions-72/
DEEPER DISCUSSIONS.
Totally Tigers

Since he was benched in mid-April, Javier Baez has been playing much better. From that date and running through Wednesday?s games, he?s hitting .305 with a .357 OPB.

Meanwhile, the Tigers have gone 17-13 during that same time period.

Javy has lowered his strikeout rate to 17.6% (a career low) but his chase rate still remains high despite lowering it as well. His strikeout rate is 28.8% which is his lowest in 8 years. There are 15 SSs who strike out more than Javy, including Carlos Correa.

On the downside of his improved hitting, his HR numbers are down.

Defensively, Baez has also improved. He has 4 DRS which ranks 4th for SSs in all of MLB.

Javy has a history of being notoriously streaky but A. J. Hinch points to many changes he?s made to his game including being less ?selfish? and more disciplined.

How do you think the rest of his year will play out? Will we continue to see improvements, will he continue to play better or will he revert to his old ways?

Today?s blog addresses this dilemma and allows readers to share their thoughts in more detail. And hopefully, to actively engage with others by responding to their posts and creating back-and-forth discussion threads. The more the merrier!

For this one blog only, you?ve got 6 sentences max to share your thoughts.
Of course, you can respond to as many other readers as you want.

TT will supply the ammunition. One thought-provoking question. Several options provided. One hard choice to be selected. One vote.

Ready?

How do you believe the rest of Javier Baez's year will go?

1. He will maintain his new habits.

2. He will continue to improve upon his current stats.

3. He will revert to his old ways.

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/05/27/deeper-discussions-73/
DEEPER DISCUSSIONS.
Totally Tigers

One year before Scott Harris was hired, the Tigers started revamping their player development program with the hiring of Ryan Garko. To this day, Garko has been brooming this area and hiring new people to help oversee it and implement new plans.

Once Harris was hired, he broomed much of the scouting department and all of the people in charge of drafting. We will see the first results later this summer.

Both areas have been ignored for decades with the same people in charge. There is still lots of work to be done and it will take at least several years to start seeing results.

If you were in charge, and could only pick 1 department, which area would you put the most focus, money and resources on? Why?

Today?s blog addresses this dilemma and allows readers to share their thoughts in more detail. And hopefully, to actively engage with others by responding to their posts and creating back-and-forth discussion threads. The more the merrier!

For this one blog only, you?ve got 6 sentences max to share your thoughts.
Of course, you can respond to other readers as well.

TT will supply the ammunition. One thought-provoking question. Several options provided. One hard choice to be selected. One vote.

Ready?

Which department should receive more focus, money and resources?

1. Player Development

2. Scouting/Drafting

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/06/01/five-for-friday-70/
FIVE FOR FRIDAY.
Totally Tigers

The Tigers haven?t had a great week considering the newest injuries to players both at the MLB and minor league levels. Some of them surprising, some of them not. But all of them will have some impact on how the Tigers perform for part or the rest of the year as well as next year.

But do all injuries carry the same amount of impact on a team? No, especially when it comes to starting pitchers and players that the team is building around vs certain positional ones.

In Detroit?s case, out of the 5 most problematic injuries they currently have, 4 of them are to starting pitchers. An outfielder joins them in this list of injuries that may not easily go away or create problems of a new kind.
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/06/08/five-for-friday-71/
FIVE FOR FRIDAY.
Totally Tigers

If you?ve been reading this blog for awhile, you?re familiar with that roller coaster I?ve been writing about. Well, folks, we?re on it again. This time heading down the hill.

And this one is more serious. There?s no guarantee that the Tigers will make it up that hill again this year unless changes are made.

I?m talking about the recent skid in which the team has lost 5 games straight (through Wednesday) and been shut out twice while scoring 1, 2 and 3 runs in the other losses.

So why is this different? What does it all mean?

I?ve got my top 5 takeaways???
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/06/09/saturday-survey-81/
SATURDAY SURVEY.
Totally Tigers

After a slow start that turned promising, Spencer Torkelson is struggling once again at the plate. While he is one of the leaders in RBI?s, he?s also tops among strikeouts. His slash line has fallen to .223/.304/.350/.654 (through Thursday) and is just marginally better than the numbers he put up last year. All are considered to be below average.

During the Tigers? recent 6-game losing streak, he had just 2 hits in 6 games.

Now that Tork has put in more time at the MLB level, a recent study was done that gauged the performance of #1 draft picks after 650 plate appearances. They were ranked according to OPS. Spencer came in #30 out of 32 players.

It has been widely speculated that Torkelson was brought up from Toledo much too soon last year by the former regime desperate to show some progress. This could have very well impacted his ability to learn and thrive at the MLB level, potentially setting him back.

It is noted that few of the top draft picks excel in their first ? and possibly even second ? year. But at what point should we be concerned about Torkelson?s hitting? Especially since we are approaching the halfway mark of the season soon?

What do you think?

How worried are you about Spencer Torkelson?

1. Not worried at all. He needs more time.

2. Starting to get somewhat concerned.

3. It's not looking good....

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/06/10/deeper-discussions-75/
DEEPER DISCUSSIONS.
Totally Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are going through more struggles and have now lost 8 straight. There are variety of factors that have put them in this downward spiral.

The team has lost some significant positional players like Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter (until 2 days ago) and Matt Vierling. Pitchers like Eduardo Rodriguez.

As they have lost these players, it?s been harder for the organization to fill the holes either from within the roster or from Toledo. They continue to suffer from a lack of depth.

And offense is even harder to find. They have only scored a total of 14 runs in their last 8 games.

All three of these factor into the Tigers losing streak. But which one has created the most damage for the team?

Today?s blog addresses this dilemma and allows readers to share their thoughts in more detail. And hopefully, to actively engage with others by responding to their posts and creating back-and-forth discussion threads. The more the merrier!

For this one blog only, you?ve got 6 sentences max to share your thoughts. Of course, you can respond to other readers as well.

TT will supply the ammunition. One thought-provoking question. Several options provided. One hard choice to be selected. One vote.

Ready?

Which factor has contributed the most to the Tigers' losing streak?

1. Too many injuries.

2. Lack of depth in the system.

3. Lack of offense.

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/06/13/watercooler-wednesday-89/
WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY.
Totally Tigers

Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.

Let?s create some running conversational threads. And for those of you back in actual offices, here?s a question to take with you ? or use via Zoom ? as you talk to your co-workers.

Here is today?s topic??..

The Detroit Tigers have been on a roller coaster this year. A bad April followed by the month of May in which they won 5 more games than they lost. For awhile, they sat in 2nd place just a couple games out of first. For the record, the AL Central leader is sitting at .500 (through Tuesday?s games).

In June, they lost 9 in row before winning Monday night?s game in the bottom of the 9th. They now sit in 4th place, 10 games under .500.

Over the winter, Scott Harris was hired to oversee the resurrection of the team. In turn, he hired a significant number of new people to oversee coaching, training, scouting, drafting and development. The process of rebuilding this organization is expected to realistically take at least a couple years.

At what level of performance were you expecting this year?

Did you think that the Tigers would show some small improvement this year?

Or did you believe that the new team would initiate some level of tearing down in order to create a clean slate?

Or did you believe that the PoBO would have inspired a much bigger step forward?

How do you feel about the year so far?

How do you feel about the Tigers' 2023 season so far?

1. Happy to see some progress/promise.

2. It's what I expected to see.

3. I'm disappointed in what I see.

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/06/16/saturday-survey-82/
SATURDAY SURVEY.
Totally Tigers

Not that long ago, the Detroit Tigers had a successful month of May and found themselves just a couple games under .500 and out of 1st place. Since then, they?ve gone on an extended losing streak.

They are now 11 games under .500 and 6 games out of 1st place (through Thursday?s games).

Part of their struggles may be attributed to a taxed starting rotation and bullpen, along with key injuries to positional players and pitchers. But on the other hand, they continue to put up very weak offensive numbers.

Can this team recover from their current situation? Will they be able to right the ship to some extent? Or is this finally who they really are?
How will the Tigers perform for the rest of the year?

How will the Tigers perform for the rest of the year?

1. They will right the ship somewhat and play better.

2. They will continue to struggle significantly.

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/06/20/watercooler-wednesday-90/
WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY.
Totally Tigers

Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.

Let?s create some running conversational threads. And for those of you back in actual offices, here?s a question to take with you ? or use via Zoom ? as you talk to your co-workers.

Here is today?s topic??..

Scott Harris talked to the media on Monday. In his conversations, he discussed both Colt Keith and Nick Maton. Both play third base. Both are left-handed.

Harris indicated that promoting a player like Keith from AA to Detroit is not an ideal move. It?s because the level of pitching and diversity of pitches seen in AAA is of a much higher level than AA. Toledo helps prepare hitters for the MLB level.

As for Nick Maton, Scott said: ?He is adjusting back to what the league is doing to him, and there are some nights where you can see a lot of progress, and there are some nights where it is difficult for him. He?s still a young hitter. He still doesn?t have quite the body of work at this level to suggest he?s gonna be as consistent a performer at this level as we think he?s going to be in the future. As long as the work looks good and as long as he continues to show the adjustments at the plate, we?re going to give him some runway.?

What Harris was implying is that hitters need more time to develop and that stats only show part of what is going on and do not represent the true level of development. Both Keith and Maton are works in progress.

Many fans are clamoring for Keith to be promoted to Detroit and for Maton to be dropped from the 26-man roster. So far, Keith has only 168 games to his career. Maton has 153 in the majors.

A. J. Hinch has stated that the Tigers are desperate for left-handed hitters which is another reason why Maton continues to play in addition to working on his development as a hitter.

Keith, once expected to be somewhat fast-tracked through Toledo and arrive in Detroit sometime shortly after the All-Star break, has been slowed down in his development due to arm fatigue. The Tigers are taking things more slowly out of an abundance of caution.

Currently, there are no other options to play third base and replace Maton within the Tigers? system.

Given Harris? statements about the importance of development and gained experience, do you agree with the organization?s decision to keep developing both Keith and Maton at least for the near future?

If you are in disagreement, what is the viable solution? Please share it!

Do you agree with the organization?s decision to keep developing Keith and Maton at least for the near future?

1. Yes, they cannot be rushed.

2. No, they need to bring up Keith now.

VOTE
 
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