An era in Detroit Tigers baseball came to a conclusion on Sunday as Tigers fans said goodbye to Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera was the last player connected to the "golden era" of Tigers baseball, in which they saw four division titles, three ALCS appearances and one trip to the World Series.
Since 2015, the Tigers have been working to establish a young core of players as the foundation for a competitive franchise. Initially, they pursued this goal through trades, swapping veterans like Yoenis Cespedes, J.D. Martinez, Justin Verlander, and Justin Upton for prospects. While the trade of Cespedes yielded Michael Fulmer and Matthew Boyd, who have made notable contributions, the returns on the rest of the players from this list have been minimal.
From the draft side of things, Detroit has seen very little until recently on returns. It made the rebuilding process rather frustrating to watch for Tigers fans. But over the last few seasons, thanks to figures like Ryan Garko, the Vice President of Player Development, Gabe Rivas and others, Detroit has started to develop players from the later rounds, something they haven't been able to do before.
With contributions from outfielder Kerry Carpenter, and maximizing pitchers like Beau Brieske, Reese Olson and Sawyer Gipson-Long, Detroit has built out a young core that could compete for a playoff spot in 2024.
So of this young core of players that Detroit has, who will be the next face of Detroit Tigers baseball? Let's take a look at three candidates.
Detroit Tigers who can pick up where Miguel Cabrera left off: No. 3 Tarik Skubal
Since returning from flexor tendon surgery in July, Skubal has been one of the best pitchers in the American League, leading all pitchers in fWAR at 3.3 and an FIP of 2.00. In seven of his 15 starts this season, he held teams without scoring a run.
The 9th-round draft pick from the 2018 draft, Tarik Skubal, stands as one of the Tigers' most successful development stories. Alongside Casey Mize and Matt Manning, Skubal is considered part of the future core of the rotation. While all three pitchers have experienced injury setbacks, Skubal has emerged as a dominant force whenever he's taken the mound over the past two seasons.
But as Mize and Manning continue to work their way back, Skubal continues not only as a staff ace but one of the best pitchers in baseball. Detroit has not had a dominant lefty in their rotation since Mickey Lolich in the late 60s and early 70s, which makes this unique. If he continues to get national attention, he could make the case to be the face of the franchise.
Detroit Tigers who can pick up where Miguel Cabrera left off: No. 2 Riley Greene
Riley Greene in 2023 took a step forward as being one of the most consistent players on the roster. After a slow start to the season, Greene hit .310/.370/.495 with an OPS of .865 post-May. He was among the 82nd percentile in Hard-Hit% and 81st percentile in baserunning run value. He improved his barrel rate from last season from 9.3 to 11.3 percent.
Judging by how the Tigers have promoted Greene since he was drafted No. 5 overall in the 2019 draft, it makes sense why he would be considered the next face of the Tigers franchise. For what Greene has been able to do in the minors and now in the majors, he just turned 23 in September.
The challenge lies in keeping him on the field. Over the last two seasons in the majors, Greene has missed significant time due to a foot injury and, most recently, Tommy John surgery on his non-throwing arm. Despite these setbacks, Detroit becomes a much more competitive team whenever he is in the lineup. With the recent call-up of highly touted prospect Parker Meadows to center field, the Tigers plan to position Greene in the outfield corners to help keep him healthy and in the lineup.
Detroit Tigers who can pick up where Miguel Cabrera left off: No. 1 Spencer Torkelson
It makes sense for Torkelson to be the face of the franchise. He took the torch from Miguel Cabrera at first base and this season, his bat matched the hype surrounding it since being taken number one overall in the 2020 MLB Draft.
Detroit may have rushed Torkelson to the majors after putting up good numbers in the minors. As indicated by the lack of a backup for Spencer, they were expecting big results right away.
But this season, Torkelson found his footing at the plate, looking a lot more comfortable at the plate. He improved his hard hit rate from 41.8 to 50.9 percent this season.
The knock on him last season was he couldn't hit fastballs. He hit just .223 against fastballs and just .208 against breaking balls in 2022. This year, 11 of his 31 home runs came off breaking balls and he improved against fastballs, hitting them at a .271 clip.
He and Greene have lockers next to each other and are good friends off the field. Based on the atmosphere in the clubhouse this season, it's clear that the youth movement is in full swing, spearheaded by Greene and Torkelson. All Detroit fans can hope for is that Torkelson continues to build on his impressive 2023 season as he assumes the role of the next face of Tigers baseball.
