Tigers by the numbers: 10 stats that explain an up-and-down start

DETROIT — Is there anything trickier than deciphering baseball in April?The Tigers so far have a 15-14 record. They have had moments of great excitement, like Spencer Torkelson’s walk-off home run and a 6-0 homestand earlier in the month. They have also had puzzling lows, like a four-game sweep in Minnesota and a maddening blown lead Friday night against the Reds.The sample is growing larger, but it all seems very much like a team still sorting out the kinks.Here are 10 key numbers that explain the good and bad of the Tigers so far:2.0: Kevin McGonigle’s bWARMcGonigle is 28 games into his MLB career. Entering Monday, his Baseball-Reference WAR was better than that of any position player in the league. There is plenty of other interesting trivia out there about McGonigle. He has reached base safely in 24 straight games, the longest active stretch in the game, a feat no 21-year-old Tigers player has accomplished since a guy named Al Kaline in 1956. But the fact that McGonigle is already playing at a truly elite level speaks loudly to just how good, stable and consistent he has been.Advertisement