Parker Meadows

Meadows got off to a slow start for Detroit last season and was optioned to Triple-A Toledo in early May. After two months spent clawing his way back, Meadows strained his right hamstring three games into his MLB return, which cost him another month. Faith was rewarded, however, as he ended up being a difference maker in the second half, slashing .296/.340/.500 with six homers and five steals in 47 regular-season games following his return in August. The overall batted-ball numbers do little to excite, but strong defense should help keep him on the field. Meadows, a lefty batter, handles same-side pitching reasonably well and is closer to the hitter we saw down the stretch than the one we saw over the first month-plus. Now 25 years old, Meadows projects to open the year as the Tigers' starting center fielder, with a longer leash to work through any offensive struggles. Read Past Outlooks