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Will the Rays earn a season-opening sweep or will the Tigers get on track at Tropicana Field?
Both clubs possess lots of tantalizing young talent, such as electrifying outfielders Randy Arozarena and Riley Greene. But this battle also contains one of the best hitters in baseball history: Miguel Cabrera.
Through two games, it’s the Rays who look to be in midseason form. Following a 4-0 victory on Opening Day, Tampa Bay’s bats busted out Saturday in a 12-2 triumph. Arozarena registered an RBI in each game, and he has picked up where he left off following his star turn in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Arozarena may be the Rays’ most indispensable player, but you can make a good argument that Tampa Bay’s most important piece is 22-year-old shortstop Wander Franco. Last season was largely lost due to injuries, but the phenom has looked the part of a dark horse MVP candidate in the early going. He has racked up multiple hits in each of the first two games, leading to a cool 1.917 OPS.
Although Detroit is off to a slow start, its lineup possesses plenty of potential. The sky is the limit for Greene, who displayed his high-flying skills as a 21-year-old rookie last season. If his work this spring carries over, a big year is undoubtedly on the horizon.
The Tigers hope the same can be said for their No. 1 prospect entering 2022, first baseman Spencer Torkelson. He struggled to a .604 OPS and a 76 wRC+ in his rookie campaign. Shortstop Javier Báez also underwhelmed last season, his first with Detroit after signing a six-year contract in December 2021. But the man they call “El Mago” is capable of providing magic on the diamond at any moment.
Cabrera, in his 21st and final season, got a hit in each of the first two games, giving him 3,090 for his career. If he matches his hit total from last year (101), Cabrera will end up 15th all-time in that category and pass MLB legends such as Tony Gwynn, Ichiro Suzuki and Cal Ripken Jr. along the way. His RBI on Saturday was his 1,848th, leaving him 13 shy of passing Mel Ott for 13th all-time.
The probable starting pitching matchup features a couple of southpaws: The Tigers’ No. 8 prospect, Joey Wentz, and the Rays’ Jeffrey Springs. After inking a four-year extension in January, Springs was almost literally unhittable in the lead-up to the regular season. Through 14 Spring Training innings, he allowed no runs, five hits, two walks and struck out exactly half of the 48 batters he faced. He will look to guide the Rays to an eighth win in their last nine meetings against the Tigers.
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Brian Murphy