Ian Kinsler Proving to be Key Acquisition for Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers currently enjoy a 1.5 game lead on the Kansas City Royals in the American League Central. With just 13 games remaining, the Tigers odds of winning the division sit at 75 percent, and they are virtually assured of a playoff spot. Though they endured an extended rough patch, this team should be dangerous in the playoffs.

The Tigers have plenty of star power. Their pitching staff features Max Scherzer, David Price, Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello. Meanwhile on the other side of the ball they have the slugging Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, who is having a fantastic year. However, the contributions of second baseman Ian Kinsler cannot be overlooked.

Kinsler was acquired from the Texas Rangers this offseason in exchange for Prince Fielder and his bloated salary. He was coming off two consecutive seasons of decent, but less than stellar production. While Kinsler’s offensive production hasn’t rebounded to its 2010-11 levels, he’s having a very good year. His 4.8 fWAR leads the Tigers, though it’s just fractions ahead of Cabrera.

Kinsler is batting .278/.311/.418. That comes out to a 102 wRC+ which is average overall. It’s significantly better than second basemen as a whole, who are batting .251/.309/.364. He’s no slouch with the bat, and his 11.4 percent strikeout rate makes him a tough out, but his contributions are more subtle.

The Tigers second baseman has long held a reputation as an excellent baserunner, and this season is no different. He only has 15 steals in 18 attempts, but he’s phenomenal at taking the extra base. His +9.2 base running runs is just a shade behind Ben Revere, and ahead of speedsters such as Dee Gordon and Billy Hamilton.

Furthermore, he plays very good second base defense. Per Ultimate Zone Rating, only Dustin Pedroia has been a better fielding second baseman. While the Tigers are still a below-average defensive team, Kinsler has helped them improve significantly.

While Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski has been deservedly criticized for not doing enough to upgrade the bullpen and getting a mediocre return for Robbie Ray, the trade for Ian Kinsler was a great move. In one move the Tigers helped to address their deficiencies in defense and baserunning. Meanwhile, Fielder suffered a major neck injury after only 42 games.

On a team with three Cy Young winners and two MVP winners, Kinsler might not be getting the attention he deserves. But, he’s been just as important to the Tigers success as any of the big ticket names on this team. Despite all of their struggles, the Tigers have the second-best world series odds of any team in baseball, behind only the Washington Nationals. Kinsler won’t appear on any MVP ballots, but he’s very important to this team.