Alex Avila – (C-):  Everyone gave him a free pass for his 3-for-41 performance in the post-season last year because the young catcher was very beat up from playing a ridiculous amount of consecutive games heading into October.  This free pass hinged on the idea that he would bounce back with the stellar play that earned him a Silver Slugger, an All-Star appearance and placed him 12th in the AL MVP voting last year.  Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened.  The heavy bat that resulted in sharp line drives a year ago looks slow and his power has been absent for much of the first half of the season.  While he may bounce back, fans probably need to temper their expectations for Avila going forward as he may be more of a .265, 15 home run a year type of player who will be solid behind the plate. 

Brennan Boesch – (D):  One of the more frustrating players in the Tiger lineup, Boesch was woeful in the #2 hole throughout the beginning of the season before losing his spot to Andy Dirks and, eventually, Quintin Berry.  His long, looping swing has made him look foolish more often than not and his on-base percentage (.277) makes it hard to put him into the lineup.  With limited fielding skills, the lefty’s only shot of regaining his status as an everyday player is to be more patient at the plate and come through with some of the timely hits that made him one of the more dangerous hitters in last year’s lineup before he fell to injury.

Miguel Cabrera – (A):  Big surprise here.  The slugger is on pace for another MVP-caliber season and leads the team in RBI (71), home runs (18), doubles (26) and is second in batting average (.324) and on-base percentage (.382).  His play at third has not been spectacular, but has exceeded the expectations of most as many fans (myself included) feared that the big man could be the victim of frequent grounders to the face (although he does have a pretty cool battle scar).  His walks are a bit low this season, but as his bat heated up entering the break, opposing pitchers seemed less and less willing to pitch to him.  His ability to stay on the field and perform at the highest level is reason enough to not give up on this team despite a lackluster first half.

Prince Fielder – (B+):  The power that seemed spotty throughout a lot of the first half of the season started to pick up during the stretch entering the break and his performance in the Home Run Derby showed the type of power the big man has.  While the fact that 11 of his first 12 home runs were solo shots left fans scratching their heads, Fielder has filled the role that Victor Martinez played last season admirably as the left has hit .372 with runners in scoring position. 

He is a hack at first base, but we weren’t really expecting Gold Gloves when we signed him.  If the slugger can provide 30 homers, 40 doubles, 100+ RBI and a near .300 average (which he is on pace to do), then we have gotten our first-year returns on the 214 million dollar investment.

Austin Jackson – (A+):  My vote for Tiger MVP of the first half of the season and, surprisingly enough, it is not just because we all expect Cabrera and Verlander to perform at this level.  It’s because he’s been that good.

Wrap your head around this.

Austin Jackson’s 2012 rankings in the American League:  Second in batting average (.332), second in on-base percentage (.408), fourth in runs (54), fifth in OPS (.953), seventh in hits (84), eighth in slugging (.545), T-first in triples (5).

As impressive as these stats are, his rankings in runs, hits and triples are even more astounding when you consider that he has missed 22 games this season.

To put some perspective on this, let’s take a look at 2011.

Austin Jackson’s 2011 rankings among Detroit Tiger players with at least 350 at-bats:  Seventh in batting average (.249), sixth in on-base percentage (.317), second in runs (90), seventh in OPS (.690), fourth in hits (147), seventh in slugging (.374), first in triples (11).

Finally, while the Tigers appear to be one of the worst fielding teams in the majors, the youngster is one of three center fielders in baseball that has not committed an error this season (0 errors in 155 total chances).

If (and I understand this is a big “IF”) Jackson can continue to play at this incredible level, I feel that it is very safe to say that we won the Granderson trade.

Jhonny Peralta – (C):  The cement shoe-wearing shortstop’s lackluster play in the field and at the plate is not quite as infuriating as Raburn or Boesch, but it is still a far cry from the numbers that earned him an All-Star nod a year ago.  He has shown the ability to find gaps (18 doubles in 77 games) and he generally doesn’t make mistakes when the ball is hit directly (key word being DIRECTLY) to short.  He is not the main problem, but certainly hasn’t been the answer.

Ryan Raburn – (Z-):  French Fries.  “Free Falling” by Tom Petty.  Freddie Mitchell’s hands.  These are just a few examples of why I will not degrade the letter “F” with this grade.  There’s not much to say about a guy who literally cannot hit his weight (.171 average, 185 lbs).  Things don’t get much better in the field as the ability to field many positions badly is not an ability in my opinion.  The only thing that keeps him in a Tiger uniform is his history of hitting after the All-Star break.

From 2009 to 2011, Raburn hit a combined .225 with 16 home runs in 497 pre- All-Star Game at-bats.  In that same three-year span, Raburn hit .320 with 29 home runs in 522 at-bats after the break.

For Raburn’s sake, this trend better continue to be a recurring one as he may not make it out of the month of July (18 games) if his bat doesn’t defrost.

Ramon Santiago – (D):  This one is strange.  He should be the everyday second baseman for this team even though he has shown this season that he is not an everyday player.  He has been hitting better as of late and is definitely our best option in the field, but that’s not saying too much. 

Delmon Young – (D+):  Yes, he had four home runs in each of the four games heading into the All-Star break.  Yes, a .271 average and 10 home runs are respectable numbers at this point in the season. 

But…

No, nine walks in 315 plate appearances is not OK.  No, having an on-base percentage under .300 when your job as a designated hitter is to get on base is not OK.  No, having an OPS of .716, which ranks behind your struggling catcher and unspectacular shortstop, is not OK. 

Don’t fall in love with streaky hitting.  His inability to produce in the #5 spot in the order has been a major Achilles heel for this team this season.

OTHERS:

Quintin Berry – (A-):  A career .267 hitter in the minors, the 27-year-old journeyman was called up in the wake of Austin Jackson’s abdominal injury and provided the type of baserunning speed that has not been seen since Brian L. Hunter.  After some initial reluctance, manager Jim Leyland has decided to play the hot hand and keep Berry in right field and in the #2 spot more often than not.  Though the lefty has cooled a bit as his playing time increased, he still maintains a .299 average and .388 on-base percentage to go with five triples (tied for most in AL) and a perfect 12-for-12 stolen base ratio.  He may hit the wall following the break and eventually fade off into oblivion a la Chris Shelton, but for now, he has been an unexpected source of speed and excitement on an underachieving ballclub.

Andy Dirks – (B+):  I feel like Dirks should get an INC for being injured for as long as he has, but I was very impressed with what I saw when he took over the reins in left.  He is a solid fielder and was one of the team’s best hitters during some of the team’s early season struggles.  His ascension to a seemingly-viable everyday option in the outfield shouldn’t come as a complete surprise as the lefty earned celebrity status in the Dominican Republic over the winter for his play and personality in the Dominican Winter League.  Dirks, who was hilariously dubbed “El Gringo” during his time in the Dominican, could provide that much-needed bat that the Tigers have been missing when he eventually returns from the DL.

Don Kelly – (D):  I never have been a big fan of Kelly, but I understand his role on the team.  While his batting average is atrocious this season (.185), he is a solid late-inning defensive replacement in the outfield or at third base. 

Gerald Laird aka G-Money – (B+):  The man with the greatest/most unfitting nickname in the organization has been a pleasant surprise in his return to the Tigers.  Laird provides experience as Avila’s backup, is a solid defender and performed well during Avila’s stint on the DL earlier in the season.  I don’t expect him to continue to hit over .300, but if provides a .270 average and spell Avila to keep him from wearing down, it has been a successful season for the veteran.

Pitching and overall grades will be posted later this week.