Swing Players

We all know what Verlander can do. Same with Cabrera. Even if they don't perform up to their All-World ability, they'll still be pretty darn good. Same with Victor Martinez and Papa Grande. They may not be All-World, but they've still proven to be top-shelf players.

We also know what to expect from guys like Porcello, Penny, Austin Jackson, and Raburn. Porcello's gonna get rocked on occasion but also throw a 1-hit gem to keep the naysayers at bay. Penny's gonna give up 3+ pretty much every time. The question is whether that's over 3 innings or 7. As for Jackson and Raburn, they'll strike out most times, but, every now and then, they'll deliver a key hit.

For most of the Tigers, we know what they can and cannot deliver. Yet, there's a handful of players that remain unknowns. Their potential is still undetermined. Perhaps their ceiling is high. Perhaps they're just on a hot/cold streak. These are the swing players. They're like the state of Ohio or Florida in an election year. Their play determines the outcome.

Who qualifies?

Brennan Boesch, Jhonny Peralta, Alex Avila. Peralta and Avila are in the midst of their first All-star seasons. Boesch is cementing his status as an everyday player. Last season, we all know he delivered strong enough numbers to warrant an All-star spot, but then he slumped drastically in the second half. This season, his average waffled between .270 and .290. He goes through hot and cold streaks, but nothing compared to his dreadful second half of 2010. One worrisome thing about Boesch is that his batting average with 2 outs and runners-in-scoring-position is .180. Yet, I suppose that's a sign of stats not telling the whole story. He almost single-handedly won this game as the rain poured down. It was such an impressive at-bat that Papa Nofrownmotown declared, "If they trade Boesch, I'm through with the Tigers!"

The kid's a fan favorite. He came to Detroit with little fanfare and has delivered. Much hope rests on his shoulders. Avila, though, takes on even more responsibility. Avila is the only catcher in the clubhouse. Victor Martinez, still smarting from a knee-injury, can't catch. Avila's caught 15 games in a row. And yet he continues to hit at his All-star pace. Currently, he's at .302, with 14 HR, and 59 RBI. This incredible season is on the heels of a 2010 campaign in which he hit .228, with 7 HR, and just 31 RBIs. Incredibly, his On-base-plus-slugging (OPS) is up to .911 from .656. Avila's hit rockets at the plate, and he'll also block the plate like a cliff breaking-up waves:

And Peralta... who saw this coming? Last season, the Tigers acquired Jhonny for Giovanni Soto. Nothing against Soto, but the kid's still battling in rookie ball. Peralta's hitting .313 with 18 HR and 65 RBIs. He made his first All-star team. He's still just 29 years old and in his prime. With all these cats, especially Avila and Peralta, are these seasons just aberrations? Or are they a sign of things to come? It's too soon to tell.

One thing is for sure, these kids came to play in 2011. Without them, the Tigers would struggle. The Tigers do not have much depth, so they need consistent production from these three to make noise in the pennant race. Cross your fingers and hope the happy days continue.