Lakeland

Center Field
Austin Jackson has done his best to help people forget about Curtis Granderson. The young center fielder is hitting .428 this spring, in 28 at-bats. No doubt, he's the most pleasant surprise. Of course, spring training numbers are about as relevant as "facebook friends". The team may only get one at-bat against an actual senior squad pitcher. And the best pitchers hardly unleash their top stuff. Verlander may spend the entire spring working on a 5th pitch - ya never know. So, while we, as fans, may dismiss Spring Training, the manager cannot. Leyland must figure out who will start at Center Field. He'll base his decision on the players' performance in Lakeland. The entire organization was hoping Jackson would seize the opportunity, and he has.

Second Base
While Jackson solidified his spot in the outfield, second base remains a mystery. This winter, the Tigers gave the position to Scott Sizemore who has a grand total of zero major league at-bats to his credit. After two mediocre seasons in '07 and '08, Sizemore worked his way up to AA and AAA last season, hitting .308 with 17 HR. It was evidence enough for Dombrowski to name him Polanco's heir - another bizarre offseason decision that alienated fans. While Sizemore hit well, he did commit 21 errors with a .966 fielding percentage. Last year, Polanco commited 2 errors with a .997 fielding percentage. To put Sizemore's numbers in perspective, his 21 errors would have ranked him last in the majors in 2009. His .966 fielding percentage? Also dead last.

Complicating matters is the fact that he also broke his ankle a few months ago. Sizemore is still experiencing soreness. The injury may force the Tigers to find a replacement. At their disposal is former second baseman Ryan Raburn, who posted equally inept numbers on defense. Yet, Raburn is a more polished offensive weapon. To his defensive credit, Raburn's rarely spent more than a season at the same position. As a full-time second baseman, Raburn's defensive numbers would still likely place at the bottom of the heap, so perhaps they could platoon him with Ramon Santiago. Santiago's a natural shortstop, but his glove is the best amongst this threesome.

Starting Pitchers
The Tigers breathed a sigh of relief yesterday as potential 3rd starter, Max Scherzer, finally threw a solid 4 innings of scoreless baseball. He dropped his Spring Training ERA to 11.37. Again, I don't want to harp on Spring Training stats, but for players like Scherzer, starting his first season in the AL, he needs a few solid innings for his confidence alone.

As for the rest of the pitching cavalcade, only one player has distinguished himself for the 4th and 5th final starting spots. I can't believe I'm typing this, but that player is Dontrelle Willis. Willis threw three innings, allowing one run yesterday. His Spring Training ERA is 1.29, though control continues to elude him. He's kept runners from crossing home, but walks remain a problem. Robertson has also fared somewhat well in spot starts, but Bonderman, Galarraga, and Bonine each sport a 10+ ERA. My guess is that Bonderman will have to exhibit exceptional ineptitude to work his way out of the 4th starting spot. Leyland and Dombrowski desperately want him to succeed and will give him every opportunity. That 5th spot will likely come down to the wire, with Willis the leading candidate. The Tigers would love to see some return on their investment.