Walks Watch, Pt. 2

The rate of posting on this blog has been slower than usual recently, for obvious reasons, but I think one way to remember Brian is to talk a lot about one of his favorite subjects. So here’s installment number two in the semiregular series about Tiger walk rates.

Through 18 games, the Tigers have coaxed 62 walks, an average of 3.4 per game. That total puts them at No. 16 in MLB, tied with four other teams. They’ve struck out 126 times, a rate of 7 per game. Their K/BB ratio of 2.06/1 is actually pretty good. And I suspect their numbers will improve once they start getting more base hits. Right now, pitchers must know they’ll have it pretty easy facing the Tigers, who have about three guys hitting consistently right now and two hitting for power.

Even with the team-wide BA slump, the plate discipline picture is looking rosier this year than it did in 2006. Last year they drew 430 walks for a shockingly bad rate of 2.65 walks per game, and struck out 1133 times for 6.99 per game. That’s a K/BB ratio of 2.64.

So in the early going, the Tigers have added almost an entire walk per game while holding their strikeout rate steady. There are a lot of things not to like about the offense so far, but selectivity is not one of them.

Walks Watch, Pt. I

If both people who read this blog haven’t noticed, we’re somewhat preoccupied with the Tigers’ need to improve their team plate discipline. With that in mind, let’s introduce a semiregular new feature that will track how the Tigers compare to the rest of the league in drawing walks.

Through six games, Tiger hitters have coaxed 21 free passes, including 9 on April 4 against Toronto, which not coincidentally was their finest offensive performance of the season.

That total places the team 13th in baseball and fifth in the American League. The total is more impressive considering that nine of the 12 offenses that have drawns more walks have played one or two more games than the Tigers.

Of course, this newfound patience isn’t putting more runs on the board — the Tigers have been outscored so far and are hitting a paltry .231/.302/.362. That’s ugly. But the hits will come eventually, and it’s good to see the Tigers working counts and collecting baserunners more efficiently.

Five regular players  — Sean Casey, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Guillen, Brandon Inge, and Gary Sheffield — and reserve Marcus Thames have acceptable walk rates thus far. Curtis Granderson has walked twice in 24 at-bats, but he’s slugging .750, so he’s alright. I assume he’ll take more free passes when he’s not hitting lasers nearly every time up.

The small sample caveat applies here, as it does with every observation made during the first six weeks of the season. But if the Tigers can keep this up, they have the ability to make solid offensive gains this year. The base hits and home runs will happen more frequently if the team continues to show patience