Midseason Grades: Hitters

The season is already half over. Let that sink in. Pretty soon, we'll be back to waiting for baseball. Enjoy the season while you can, folks.

Now, for out first semester report cards!

Prince Fielder: B

Prince is having another solid season for Detroit- at the plate, at least.. Although his .476 SLG is not exactly vintage Prince Fielder, he's getting on base enough to be well above average. However, his defense has been atrocious. I know the big guy wants to stay at first base, but even Martinez is outplaying him defensively right now. Believe it or not, Fielder has an  fWAR just 0.1 wins higher than Don Kelly.

Omar Infante: A

I did not expect Infante to be batting .309 through 81 games. Sure, it's about as empty a .309 as I've ever seen, but the .324 BABIP lends him credibility in keeping his average high. On the defensive side of things, Omar has been picking the ball extremely well. I just wish he could turn a double play.

Jhonny Peralta: A+

Come on, you knew I was giving Jhonny an A+ on principle. Still, he's earned it! Peralta sports an OPS of .826 at shortstop. That BABIP of .385 is... iffy, but he's also hitting line drives 27% of the time. The defensive metrics seem to be frowning on Jhonny compared to the last few years, which is odd. The eye test says his range is actually marginally improved, especially to the right. Whatever, WAR.

Miguel Cabrera: A++

Even for the Big Fella, this has been a special year. Good thunder, does Miggy pack some thunder. A 203 wRC+? That's not normal, even for Cabrera. Screw defense. This is one of the all-time great seasons for a batter.

Alex Avila: D

Avila looks lost at the plate. This DL stint and subsequent rehab assignment may have been great to help clear his head and his swing. Hopefully, Alex provides us with a second-half performance like he hit last year. That's all Detroit needs at the bottom of their lineup.

Torii Hunter: B+

Hunter has been a solid piece for the Tigers this year. The numbers aren't quite what they were in 2011, but he's still an above average hitter. His defense and speed have dropped off a little too, though both are still servicable. I was going to give him a B-, then I remembered Brennan Boesch.

Austin Jackson: A-

Despite nagging hamstring issues that likely hamper his fielding and power numbers, A.J. continues to prove that he is a star. Last year's improvement in plate discipline was no fluke. A completely healthy Jackson could provide the spark necessary to get this team going in the second half.

Andy Dirks: C-

Just A Ballplayer has been eminently "meh" in left field. His .349 SLG is very... bad, really. Andy needs to pick up his game soon, or he may see Tuiasosopo, Kelly, or Castellanos taking time from him. On the plus side, advanced metrics love his defense this year, so there's that.

Victor Martinez: D+

This was to be expected from Victor. He's hitting just .233 right now, although he continues to show signs of life. Martinez will probably never hit .300 again, but the Tigers could use a lift from him in the second half.

Ramon Santiago: D

Is it time to let him sneak away into retirement? Sigh. Yeah, it is.

Brayan Pena: A-

Pena has been excellent at the plate for Detroit, basically hitting like Infante Lite. The guy is optimistic, a good teammate, and he hung on to the ball while getting Smoaked. Brayan looks to get more playing time with Avila's struggles, although I'm skeptical of his game-calling skills.

Bryan Holaday: C

He did ok. I'm glad Avila's back.

Matt Tuiasosopo: A

Big Squiggles has been raking so far. I love his plate discipline, something he's shown throughout his career. Matt might be in line for some of Dirks' ABs if he can continue to have a batting average close to Andy's slugging percentage. Just watch out; Tui probably isn't a regular.

Don Kelly: B

Admit it; Donnie's growing on you. Kelly has combined plus defense with an excellent batting eye to have one of his best seasons as a big leaguer. On top of that, he's still a great clubhouse guy (except for when he's changing.)

Avisail Garcia: D+
He's lost. Send him to Triple A.

Tune in later for pitching grades! (Featuring an F for someone special.)