The Detroit Tigers should be a better baserunning team this season.
It was a focal point last spring training but didn’t translate to the field, where they were second to last in the major leagues in Baserunning Runs, according to Baseball Prospectus.
And it could be the reason why their 2015 offense — ranked in the top five in the American League in average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage — finished 10th in runs.
“It’s really tough to get a handle on,” general manager Al Avila said.
Those numbers point to the inexperience of everyday guys like Anthony Gose, Nick Castellanos and James McCann, whose decisions on the bases will improve with experience.