Top 5 Overall Detroit Tigers - Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide 2009

Coming off a break-out 2007 season and an offseason that saw them make some bold moves, including the acquisition of Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers seemed primed to make a move in 2008. Promise turned to utter disappointment, as the Tigers slid right out of the gate and they never fully recovered, as they finished in last place in the American League Central with a 74-88 record.

2009 will probably be a little better, as a couple of players had down years, but the Tigers will need some sizeable turnarounds if they want to compete with Cleveland for the division crown.

#1 Overall Detroit Tigers: Miguel Cabrera (1B/3B) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: .292 BA, 37 HR, 36 2B, 127 RBI, 1 SB, 85 RS

Cabrera was one of the lone bright spots on the 2008 Tiger squad, giving Detroit exactly what they wanted from him when they acquired him during the 2008 Winter Meetings. Miguel saw career highs in home runs and RBI's. However, he also saw some major drops too, most notably in his on base percentage, which went down almost sixty points from .401 to .349, most likely caused by a fall in his walk total from 79 to 56. Still, Cabrera is a young stud, entering his second season in a new league, and is likely to put up numbers to the tune of .305 average, 35 home runs, and 120 RBI. Add in the fact that he may qualify for eligibility for both third and first base, and you've got plenty of reason to nab him during the early second round.

#2 Overall Detroit Tigers: Curtis Granderson (CF) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: .280 BA, 22 HR, 26 2B, 66 RBI, 12 SB, 112 RS

Granderson missed a solid chunk of time in the beginning of 2008 due to injury, but came out of the gate swinging when he got back on the field. His home runs were only down one and his RBI's eight from 2007, but considering he played in 17 fewer games, I think he deserves a little slack there. More ominous is the fact that he had less than half the stolen bases from the previous season, but again, that could be attributed to his injuries also. Look for Granderson to continue to put up solid numbers out of the lead-off spot, something in line with .290 average, 25 home runs, 70 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and 110 runs scored wouldn't be a bad start, but a healthy Granderson hitting his prime could move the curve even higher.

#3 Overall Detroit Tigers: Magglio Ordonez (RF) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: .317 BA, 21 HR, 32 2B, 103 RBI, 1 SB, 72 RS

For those that drafted Ordonez in 2008 hoping he would repeat his 2007 magic, I'm sure they were disappointed. However, for those that had realistic expectations, then you weren't disappointed. Ordonez still put up solid stats, but his runs and RBI's likely fell with the addition of Miguel Cabrera to the team and pitchers being more cautious of letting him beat them again last season. What you saw in 2008, with a line of .317, 21, and 103, is probably more realistic of his abilities and would be a good estimate of what to expect from him again in 2009.

#4 Overall Detroit Tigers: Justin Verlander(SP) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 stats: 11 Wins and 17 Losses, 4.84 ERA, 1.403 WHIP, 163 SO

The league caught on to Justin Verlander in 2008, after successive seasons of seventeen and eighteen wins in 2006 and 2007. He saw rises across the boards, career highs in losses, ERA, WHIP, and walks, all contributing to a less than stellar season for Justin. Still, at 25, and pitching in a pitcher's park, it is likely that he will make adjustments from last season and regain some of his form. A season of 14-15 wins, a 4.00 ERA, and 170 strikeouts may be a good starting point when considering where to rank him on draft day.

#5 Overall Detroit Tigers: Carlos Guillen(1B) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: .286 BA, 10 HR, 29 2B, 54 RBI, 9 SB, 68 RS

2008 may have been the sign of things to come from Carlos Guillen. Once one of the most underrated hitters in the game, injuries appear to sap out his production in 2008, leading to the batting line above, as well as having played in just 113 games. Add into the equation that he spent the majority of his time at first base in 2008 and probably won't carry forward shortstop eligibility to 2009, he may be best to make him a waiver claim rather than a draft choice. If you happen to pick him up, don't look for much, if any, of an improvement over last season's production.

Sources

MLB Standings, MLB.com

MLB Team Stats, Hitting, MLB.com

MLB Team Stats, Pitching, MLB.com

Miguel Cabrera, Baseball-Reference.com

Curtis Granderson, Baseball-Reference.com

Magglio Ordonez, Baseball-Reference.com

Justin Verlander, Baseball-Reference.com

Carlos Guillen, Baseball-Reference.com