Tigers Star Reliever's Struggles Have Put Bullpen's Effectiveness in Danger

The Detroit Tigers need better production from one of their most important relievers if they expect to continue their hot streak.

David Reginek-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers have maintained the best record in baseball despite the adversity of dealing with injuries and the overall roller coaster of performance that the Major League Baseball season brings.

This is a team that looks like it has the makings of a potential threat in the American League and even a World Series contender. However there is a glaring weakness that they need to improve both internally and externally.

Numbers wise, the Tigers bullpen has actually been strong this season.

Looking past the initial numbers though, the current status of the unit is being padded a bit by what was a very strong first month.

As of late, the bullpen looks way more so in need of help at the deadline than it did at the beginning of the season, and one of its most important options has simply not been himself over the last month.

Tyler Holton is Struggling To Find Quality Outings For Detroit

Entering the final week of April, 28-year-old left-hander Tyler Holton had an ERA of 1.54 and had given up a total of just three runs in his first 10 appearances of the season (nearly 12 innings).

Over the last 30 days and nine appearances, Holton has an ERA of 6.75 and a WHIP which has climbed to 1.82. His overall season marks in the same categories are 3.86 and 1.286 respectively, far from a disaster but they are also numbers that don't tell the full story.

After allowing just one home run during that dominant first half, Holton has allowed three during this period along with 13 hits and seven earned runs.

Holton is one of the key pieces of the bullpen and if he's off, the unit as a whole is off.

The Tigers are likely to make some additions this summer assuming they are still well within contention, but there is going to be nothing more important down the stretch than established stars already on the team performing like it.

If Holton cannot get it together, it dramatically lowers the ceiling of what this bullpen is capable of being, and a great bullpen is always going to be key to a postseason run.

It's time for the previously reliable lefty to go back to the drawing board, figure out what has gone wrong as of late, and get back to his previous All-Star form.