Detroit Tigers Breakout Star Could Become More Valuable By Doing This One Thing
Plenty of Detroit Tigers players turned into breakout stars during the second half of this campaign, and after making a run to the ALDS, the franchise seems to have a bright future.
How everything shakes out in the coming years will be seen, but for the first time in a while, the Tigers look to be on the verge of contending in the AL Central and the American League as a whole.
To do that, though, they need their current young players to take the next steps in their careers.
Someone who emerged as a potential cornerstone for Detroit going forward was rookie Wenceel Perez after he appeared in 119 games and slashed .242/.300/.383 in the regular season before going 5-for-20 with multiple clutch hits in the playoffs.
Although his OPS+ and wRC+ were below the league average at 93 and 95 respectively, his timely hitting and solid defense should have him as part of the outfield rotation if his offense continues to progress.
However, Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press believes Perez has to add an important element to his game if he's going to be a major piece for the Tigers going forward.
"Perez isn't an everyday right fielder on a playoff-caliber team (unless he hits for more power), but he is a valuable switch-hitter with above-average baserunning and average defense. He would be even more valuable if he learned to play the infield again, thus making him a true utility player," he writes.
That could be coming.
With the outfield consisting of Riley Greene in left, Parker Meadows in center and Kerry Carpenter in right, there's a chance the Tigers look to use Perez in the infield more often.
During his minor league career, he appeared in 222 games at shortstop, 213 at second base and 31 at third base, only playing in the outfield 52 times.
That's a stark difference from what he's done in the big leagues so far, not playing infield a single time.
All of that is to say Perez's transition into being a utilityman should be relatively easy.
If he does that and adds the power element to his game, then he should be a huge part of this Detroit roster as they chase a World Series.
