MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 22: Willi Castro #49 of the Detroit Tigers makes a play at shortstop against the Minnesota Twins during the game at Target Field on September 22, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Tigers 5-4 in ten innings. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
Live from a Zoom call somewhere in Southeastern Michigan, it is the MCB Staff Awards 2020, as the contributors and fans voted for our three Detroit Tigers awards.
We here at Motor City Bengals got together and went over our picks for three awards for the Detroit Tigers. They are the team MVP, rookie of the year, and the pitcher of the year. We also polled our fans on who they thought should win these awards. Without further ado, here are the nominations and the winner for the Rookie of the Year.
The Rookie of the Year
Willi Castro is no doubt our Detroit Tigers rookie of the year. With a slash line of .349/.381/.550, an ISO of .202, wRC+ of 151, and six home runs in 36 games, Castro made his way into the lineup and took over at short. Defensively, there are shortcomings but it appears to be between the ears. Either way, if he can avoid the sophomore slump, the Tigers will have a solid role player that will finally solve some infield issues Detroit has had the past few seasons.
The Pitcher of the Year
Nominations:
Our winner is…
Jul 31, 2020; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Spencer Turnbull was another easy choice. Tigers starters had the worst ERA in the league at 6.37 but Turnbull was the team’s ace. He pitched 56.2 innings and only gave up 2 home runs while striking out 51 in 11 starts. He continued to build off his performance in 2019 as one of the Tigers’ more dependable starters.
Detroit Tigers Team MVP
Nominations:
- Victor Reyes
- Jeimer Candelario
- Jonathan Schoop
Our winner is…
(Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Candelario started the season 0-for-17 before he exploded in August, batting .356/.389/.622 with an OPS of 1.012 all while switching positions. He continued in September before a back injury knocked him out the final week of the season. No one expected for Candelario to step up this big. Already an outstanding defender, his bat was a major issue heading into this season. But with some help from his mentor, Robinson Cano, and hitting coach Joe Varva, he saw a vast improvement in hard-hit contact and his exit velocity, which went up to 90.2, which was above his career average of 87.9. He showed Tigers fans he is going to be a part of the future.