PT TOMORROW: AL Central—Four spring position battles and a catcher situation to watch

Detroit Tigers

Jeimer Candelario (3B, DET; pictured above) demonstrated an inability to stay healthy and consistently contribute to the 2019 Tigers season, so he finds himself in a competition for 3B playing time in Detroit, despite a performance uptick in the second half. He teased with harder and more frequent contact, but only his slugging showed modest improvement while the BA and OBA still disappointed.  

Candelario’s inconsistent play opened the door for Dawel Lugo (3B, DET) to be the Tigers’ third base playing time leader in 2019 (about 20 innings more there than Candelario). Lugo’s bat was a non-factor (.652 OPS in 273 AB), rendering his 128 Spd rating a non-factor as well (zero stolen base opportunities). 

Both Candelario and...

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