Little-known fact: Tiger Stadium opened the same day as Fenway Park and thus the same day as the Titanic sinking. But even when Tiger Stadium was standing, the Detroit media never made a big deal of it, unlike the Boston sports media that likes to make a cottage industry of such things.

Red Sox fans can take solace in the seemingly inevitable season-long mashing this Tiger lineup is poised to do. Beckett grooving meatballs over the heart of the plate yesterday and the Sox pen being held together with tape and the remarkable ugliness of Vicente Padilla certainly helped this weekend, but Detroit batters are going to shred AL pitching if everyone stays healthy.

I was as cynical about the Fielder signing as any Michigan resident could be, but the opening series sure got the team off on the right foot with regards to meeting the hype. Cabrera looked competent at third (aside from one play), Verlander looked like he'll remain nearly un-hittable, Cabrera and Fielder absolutely raked, and the rest of the lineup didn't leave the heavy lifting up to the corner infielders.

Of course, I'm not sold on the rotation. Verlander is virtually a guaranteed W, but Fister is already hurt, Scherzer is erratic, and the 4/5 guys are "unproven." If there's a lineup in baseball that looks like it's up to the task of compensating for a spotty starting rotation, it's this one. Doesn't hurt that they're playing in a division where the biggest competition looks like it'll be the freakin' Royals.

The Tigers lineup is going to score runs, but is it this monster everyone is making it out to be? ZiPS has only 3 other guys in the lineup (Avila, Boesch, and Young) as above average hitters, and only barely. I still think they finish behind Boston, New York and Texas in runs scored again.

Also, aren't the Indians the real competition in the ALC? I don't think the Royals have anywhere near enough pitching, but the Indians have enough potential to make it interesting. They got a combined 1 WAR out of Choo and Jimenez last year. If those guys rebound, they can hang around.

I'd like to see Cleveland compete, but I'm afraid Detroit will crush.

I'm just cynical on Cleveland because it seems like they've found a way to be massive underachievers throughout the majority of the Shapiro era.

The Tigers lineup is going to score runs, but is it this monster everyone is making it out to be? ZiPS has only 3 other guys in the lineup (Avila, Boesch, and Young) as above average hitters, and only barely. I still think they finish behind Boston, New York and Texas in runs scored again.

I agree that they're a little overrated at this point -- they're not going to score 9 runs a game all season, for one thing -- but Cabrera is possibly the best hitter alive, Fielder is excellent even if he is (or will ultimately be) overpaid, and one of those "barely above average" guys you listed is a catcher, which presumably makes him WAY above average for his position.

Also, I expect Peralta to hit better than the average shortstop, and Raburn (if he can handle the position) to hit better than the average second baseman. If Austin Jackson hits even half as well as he did opening weekend, then that's 8 positions that are, at minimum, "barely above average." (Oddly, this does not include a DH.)

Like everyone here, I have some doubts about Young and Jackson, and if Raburn isn't at 2B he's not much of an offensive asset. But still, if you have a lineup full of above average guys (for their position), plus Fielder, PLUS Cabrera... that at least starts to approach "monstrous."

and one of those "barely above average" guys you listed is a catcher, which presumably makes him WAY above average for his position.

That is a true statement, but it was written in the context of the Tigers overall run scoring potential. If I have three above average hitters, it doesn't matter if they are middle infielders, or corner outfielders. They have an identical impact on the bottom line.

(Oddly, this does not include a DH.)

Who would have ever thought you could build a lineup with Cabrera, Fielder, and Delmon Young and still say "You know, I could really use a DH here"?

Cabrera . . . Fielder . . . catcher [Avila] . . . Peralta . . . Raburn . . . Austin Jackson . . .then that's 8 positions that are, at minimum, "barely above average."

I'm counting 6, not 8. If we're only comparing middle of the diamond players to their positional peers, then we have to do the same for Young and Boesch. And you'll have to forgive me for preferring to use Jackson's 153 games of 89 OPS+ from last year over 3 games of a 325 OPS+ this year. Look, that lineup is going to be very good to great, but people seem to be treating it as one that is going to lead the league in runs.

I still think they finish behind Boston, New York and Texas in runs scored again.

Especially since the Tigers don't play their home games on a high school JV field.

Especially since the Tigers don't play their home games on a high school JV field.

Some JV fields would be pretty tough for big leaguers to hit in. Mine did not have a fence in right field, the outfield just carried on forever and into a football field. On the other side of the football field there was a fence, but this was probably 700 feet away from home plate.

There would be a lot of triples and inside the park homers, but a guy like Prince Fielder would be hurt if the opponent used a speedy right fielder to track down most of his long blasts. Miguel Cabrera would be OK though, I think the LF fence was only about 300.