Detroit Tigers Need Mark Lowe And Justin Wilson To Start Stepping Up

By Brad Faber

Over the offseason, many fans of Detroit Tigers baseball were quite excited about the revamped bullpen after the additions of Francisco Rodriguez, Mark Lowe and Justin Wilson. While Rodriguez has certainly looked sharp this spring, it has been a slightly different story for Lowe and Wilson.

Through 8.1 innings of Grapefruit League work, Lowe has posted an 8.64 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. Wilson has an 8.59 ERA and a 2.05 WHIP over 7.1 innings.

Admittedly, spring training numbers should be taken with a grain of salt and now is as good of a time as any to get the kinks out. That said, a deeper look at Lowe and Wilson’s track records may make one wonder if their performances from last season will be sustainable.

Although Lowe indeed had a great season last year, posting a 1.96 ERA (198 ERA+) and a 1.05 WHIP over 55 innings of work with the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays, it was the first season he had thrown 45-plus innings since he was with the Texas Rangers back in 2011. According to Fangraphs PITCHf/x data, the average velocity of his four-seam fastball rose all the way back to 95.3 mph, which was clearly a good sign, but the Tigers still took a bit of a risk in signing the 32-year-old to a two-year deal.

When it comes to Wilson, he was outstanding in his first full season with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013, but then had kind of a so-so campaign in 2014 before rebounding in a big way with the New York Yankees last season. Overall, the 28-year-old has been a well above average pitcher, posting a 123 career ERA+, but it is hard to completely write off the season he had two years ago when he had an 86 ERA+.

Of course, there is no reason to be overly concerned right now, and Lowe and Wilson clearly have the talent to turn things around once the season begins. For what it is worth, they looked quite good in Wednesday’s victory over the Baltimore Orioles as well. That being said, with April right around the corner, Lowe and Wilson will need to continue showing that they are ready to step up, especially if Alex Wilson and Blaine Hardy are on the sidelines.

Share On FacebookShare StumbleUpon

You May Also Like