Hall of Fame Writer Picks Tigers All-Star As Least Valuable Player in Second Half
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The Detroit Tigers are in the midst of a historic meltdown, watching their 15.5-game lead in the American League Central disappear. They have gone ice cold while the Cleveland Guardians have heated up, taking full advantage.
There are a lot of reasons why the Tigers find themselves in such a brutal predicament. Their pitching has been an issue. No starters have consistently performed behind Tarik Skubal in the rotation, putting a lot of pressure on the bullpen.
The lineup, which was on fire at points earlier this season, has struggled as well. Center field and third base have been major holes, but manager A.J. Hinch was able to mix and match to overcome those deficiencies with Javier Baez and Zach McKinstry.
Javier Baez Named American League Least Valuable Player
Both selected to the AL All-Star Team this year, they answered the call early on. Unfortunately, their performance has leveled off in the second half. Especially Baez, who was named the Least Valuable Player in the AL by Jayson Stark of The Athletic (subscription required).
Coming into the year, the discourse surrounding Baez was whether Detroit would even keep him on the roster. Signed to a six-year, $140 million deal ahead of the 2022 campaign, the team has received zero return on that investment.
Things looked to hit rock bottom in 2024 when he had a -1.1 bWAR. His contract was mentioned as the worst in the sport, providing the Tigers with no positive impact on the field. Something changed in 2025 to get him back on track, turning him into a key contributor in the first half.
Baez earned that All-Star nomination, as a center fielder nonetheless, with a .275/.310/.442 slash line with 10 home runs, 13 doubles, one triple and 39 RBI. He was an impact defender as well, whether it was in center field or at shortstop.
Javier Baez Has Crumbled in Second Half
Alas, that production has not carried over into the second half. He has reverted to the player that Detroit and its fan base have become accustomed to seeing over the last three years. So much so, Stark could not ignore it and selected him as the LVP.
Since the All-Star break, Baez has a .213/.221/.294 slash line. His tOPS+ is a 54 and his sOPS+ is a 42. Those numbers were 123 and 109 in the first half, for context on how much his production has slowed down.
As Stark noted, entering games on Thursday, the 2025 All-Star was dead last in the AL in OPS+ and on-base percentage. He has managed to hit only one home run in the second half and has struck out 41 times in 141 plate appearances. On the road, he has been even worse with a wRC+ of -1 through the same period.
Baez isn’t the sole reason that the Tigers have fallen apart in the second half. But he is one of the contributing factors.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.