The Tigers are finally trending up: Can progress of May continue into June? – MLive.com

There will no documentaries about 2021 Tigers fight to stay out of last place, and its possible that very few people outside of Detroit have even noticed the clubs recent improvement.

But its true: The Tigers are playing really well, perhaps even better than their 14-13 record in the month of May might indicate.

The Tigers ended April with two games against the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees that they lost by a combined score of 21-0. In the final game of the month, they were humiliated by Gerrit Cole. In the last three games of April, the Tigers scored just once in 23 innings. They managed just nine hits (eight singles and a double) and two walks. Theyve struck out an astounding 40 times.

Nothing magical happened immediately in the new month. The Tigers actually lost five of their first six games in May, so as long as were picking somewhat arbitrary dates, it should be noted that the Tigers are actually 13-8 since May 8. But the biggest difference is that every single one of the Tigers defeats this month have been competitive. Theyre playing -- and often winning -- close games.

Theres been no single improvement. The Tigers have gotten better in every aspect of the game. A more mature approach at the plate has led to fewer strikeouts. Youngsters Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal have made huge strides, boosting the rotation. The bullpen, once the worst in baseball, has improved greatly.

Of course, the Tigers (22-32) are still 10 games under .500, still in last place and still likely to lose 93-96 games in 2021, depending on which projection you care to believe. But they no longer to appear in jeopardy of challenging the historical lows of the 2003 or 2019 teams.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws against the Cleveland Indians in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Tuesday, May 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)AP

May standouts: The pitchers

Tigers starters posted a 3.76 ERA in May, led by Mize, Skubal and Turnbull, who combined for a 2.61 ERA in 16 starts, striking out 95 in 93 innings.

Take away openers, bullpen games and one start in which Matthew Boyd left prematurely due to injury, and Tigers starters combined for 139 2/3 innings in 24 starts over the month of May, just under six innings per start.

That was a huge boost to the struggling bullpen.

Gregory Soto continues to be erratic, but its also to see why the Tigers have been so patient. Its not a stretch to say hes almost unhittable, one of the most difficult pitchers to barrel in all of baseball. He just doesnt always know whether that 101 mph fastball is going in the zone or over the catchers head to the backstop.

Michael Fulmer and Jose Cisnero have pitched well. Kyle Funkhouser has been a pleasant surprise. Daniel Norris is showing signs of getting on track.

The bullpen remains a work in progress, but the second half of May was encouraging. Since May 16, Tigers relievers have a 1.98 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 50 innings.

Jonathan Schoop during a game against the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park in Detroit on May 27, 2021. (Allison Farrand / Detroit Tigers) (used with permission)Allison Farrand

The lineup

There were four standouts in May, plus two more Tigers whose offensive production exceeded the league average.

Some of the names might surprise you because their slow starts in April have obscured some of the progress they made in May.

The first two are obvious: Robbie Grossman and Jeimer Candelario have been the Tigers offensive leaders, getting on base and hitting for power. Both players have on-base averages just under .400 and slugging percentages just under .500 while playing nearly every day in the month of May.

Akil Baddoo and Harold Castro have been nearly as impressive, albeit playing on a less-than-fulltime basis.

Until Monday, Baddoo had gone 100 plate appearances and six weeks without a home run, but he was still hitting for doubles and triples power and reaching base at an impressive clip. Baddoo drew walks in 14 of 58 plate appearances in May, looking more like the Baddoo of spring training than the one who struck out 40 percent of the time and hardly ever walked in April.

Sure, Harold Castros .442 batting average on balls in play in May is probably not sustainable, but this is Harold Castro. Who wants to bet against him?

Would you be surprised to learn that Jonathan Schoop and Willi Castro were actually better-than-average offensive contributors in May? This is where the Tigers patience may have paid off, as both infielders endured miserable starts to the season. But Schoop posted a .746 OPS in 120 plate appearances in May, striking out in just 18 percent of plate appearances. Willi Castro had a .702 OPS, beginning to show some of the power that propelled him to such a strong 2020 campaign.

Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera is waved around third to score from first on a double by Nomar Mazara to left field during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, May 30, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)AP

Can this last?

Perhaps not.

But with the exception of perhaps Harold Castro, none of the players spotlighted above are performing to a superhuman degree. Yes, some of them may come back to earth, but they probably wont land with a hard thud.

And theres plenty of room for improvement in other parts of the roster.

Miguel Cabrera has not been very good, and hes hitting in the middle of the order nearly every day. Get him going -- or, alternatively, bump him a few spots lower in the lineup -- and the offense will improve.

Every outfielder not named Grossman has been either volatile (Baddoo) or just plain bad (JaCoby Jones, Victor Reyes and Nomar Mazara).

Jones is currently in Toledo and Reyes has already spent time there. How much patience will the Tigers have with Mazara? The question will become more pressing as young outfielders Derek Hill and Daz Cameron continue to play well in Triple-A.

Win or lose, the Tigers seem to have vanquished the ugly play that marked that ugly three-week stretch earlier this season in which they lost 18 of 21 games.

Im proud of our players and their buy-in, and Im proud of our coaches for their work, Hinch said before Mondays game. But were nowhere near where I want to be. I dont want this to be a success story just because the vibe is a little different. The win-loss column is what matters the most. And weve got to continually peck away and find more wins.

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The Tigers are finally trending up: Can progress of May continue into June? - MLive.com