Heading into this season, many fans (myself included) were hoping that the Tigers would give Daniel Norris a spot in the starting rotation. The team was projected to finish in last place, and Norris, despite all of his injuries and setbacks over the years, is the team’s youngest and most promising starting pitcher. If he could find a way to put it all together and turn into the mid-rotation starter (or better) we saw in 2016, it could change the Tigers’ long-term outlook as they look to return to contention.
Norris didn’t win a rotation spot out of spring training, but frustration was muted because of Spencer Turnbull’s excellent spring performance.