Tigers Opening Day lineup: Báez hits third, Candelario at cleanup, and E-Rod on the mound
DETROIT (FOX 2) - There's a certain buzz in the air that comes around for Opening Day every year. Despite the cold and wet weather that inevitably comes every year, there is a palpable level of excitement that comes with the first game of the year. This year, there's even more.
The Detroit Tigers spent big in the offseason on Javier Báez and Eduardo Rodríguez while promoting the number 1 overall pick from three years ago in Spencer Torkelson. To say fans are excited is putting it midlly.
So on Friday, April 8, we got a look at how these names are going to fill out the lineup.
Robbie Grossman - RF
Austin Meadows - LF
Javier Báez - SS
Jeimer Candelario - 3B
Miguel Cabrera - DH
Jonathan Schoop- 2B
Akil Baddoo - CF
Spencer Torkelson - 1B
Tucker Barnhart - C
Eduardo Rodríguez - SP
The first game of the season is Friday, April 8, and Detroit is opening at home against the Chicago White Sox. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. and FOX 2 is your home EVERYTHING you need for Opening Day - PLUS you can watch it LIVE on FOX2Detroit.com.
You can watch every single pitch LIVE on FOX 2.
At 1 p.m., FOX 2 is simulcasting Tigers Opening Day but it's the ONLY part of the day that you cannot watch on FOX2Detroit.com/live
First pitch will be at 1:10 p.m. and while you can watch the game on TV, FOX 2 will have Charlie Langton roaming around Downtown Detroit throughout the game. He'll be taking in all the sights and sounds of Opening Day as the party outside continues. You CAN watch that live on FOX2Detroit.com.
Longtime 1B Cabrera is shifting to DH in a permanent role this year but will remain in the middle of the lineup. The Triple Crown winner has been a mainstay in th lineup since 2008 for the Tigers and reached the milestone of 500 homeruns in 2021. The 38-year-old is 13 hits away from joining six players, including Hank Aaron and Willie Mays, with 3,000 hits and 500 homers.
Aside from the longtime Cabrera, there were some major additions to the Detroit baseball club.
Grossman was signed by the Tigers ahead of last season and slashed .239/.357/.415 (avg/OBP/slg) over 156 games. Grossman established himself as a speedster with 20 stolen bases, 11 more than his previous best in 2019.
Meadows was traded to the Tigers just a couple of weeks ago. He'll be in left field and has hit 70 homeruns with 225 RBIs in his career across 3+ seasons.
Báez was the big signing of the year after he was given a $140 million contract to address a desperate need at shortstop. Báez is electric at shortstop with a smooth glove and a great bat. However, strikeouts have been an issue in his career and finished last year with 184 strikeouts, the most in league.
Canedlario led the league and all of baseball in doubles in 2021 and has been with the Tigers since 2017. He slashed .271/.351/.443 and will be an important part of the lineup.
Detroit Tigers Jeimer Candelario talks Opening Day and the upcoming MLB season
Could the Detroit Tigers own third baseman hit a home run today? Member of the Nine certainly think he can, but he's taking a cautionary approach. Still, the potential is there as is potential for a solid season for the Detroit Tigers, who are aiming for a division title with their newly rebuilt team.
After the iconic Cabrera, Schoop returns for his third season in Detroit. Across nine years in the majors, Schoop has hit 163 homeruns and needs just one more RBI to hit 500 for his career. He will ensure Cabrera sees plenty of good pitches to hit.
Rookie sensation Baddoo, who was the headliner of the year for the Tigers in 2021, is batting down in the 7 spot. Last year, Baddoo came through with multiple clutch hits, including homeruns in his first two big league games but did fall off a bit as the summer dragged on.
Torkelson has been a long-awaited prospect that is finally arriving in Detroit, three years after he was drafted number 1 overall. He was ranked as the number 4 overall prospect in all of baseball and hit 280/.406/.440 over 12 games this spring. He's expected to play first base on most days, taking over for Cabrera who will now be a fulltime DH.
Barnhart will be the new catcher, calling pitches behind the plate. He was traded to Detroit in November after playing his first eight years in Cincinnati. Through his career, he's hit .248/.324/.371 and will be a stable part of each game.
On the mound for opening day is Rodríguez, E-Rod, who spent his first six seasons in Boston. For his career, he has a 64-39 record with a 4.16 ERA. In 2019, he won 19 games, losing 6, and finished sixth in the Cy Young Awards. Last year, he went 13-8 and brings a lot of excitement to the front of the Tigers rotation each game.