As the Tigers prepare for the regular season, there are many concerns regarding the rotation. Although Justin Verlander and Jordan Zimmermann are firmly entrenched into the top of the rotation, the rest has big question marks. Anibal Sanchez struggled mightily last year and is currently recovering from a triceps strain and bronchitis. Mike Pelfrey can eat some innings, but projects as a below-average starter. Daniel Norris, Shane Greene, and Matt Boyd all offer upside but are unproven with flaws (control, recent surgery, and home runs, respectively). Buck Farmer has shown some promise in the minors, but had an atrocious cup of coffee last year, and could be more considered organizational depth. So I ask, why not Michael Fulmer?

There are several arguments against Fulmer cracking the Tigers rotation straight out of spring training. He’s too young. He’s not experienced enough. He has never pitched above Double-A. He would qualify for Super-2 status. Although those may be considered valid points, I think we should be asking ourselves, why not?

For those not familiar with his background, Fulmer was acquired from the Mets last year in the Yoenis Cespedes trade. He was the 44th overall pick in 2011 and is now considered the Tigers consensus #1 prospect.

An excerpt from Dan Farnsworth’s recent scouting report from Fangraphs reads:

His fastball has 65-grade potential with mid-90s velocity, small but deceptive life and the best command out of his four pitches. His slider is his out pitch, featuring hard downward break out of the zone to get hitters fishing. His curve is a nice change of pace that is similar to the slider but thrown at lower speeds.

He has steadily progressed at every level culminating with his excellent 2015 season where he went 10-3 with a 2.24 ERA, 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings, and a 4.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio (which ranks third across the Double-A level for qualified pitchers). In addition, he has exploded onto the scene during his first two outings this spring with both intensity and results. Although this is an incredibly small sample size, Fulmer has pitched in two games this spring spanning four innings, allowing only two hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts. His fastball has been sitting in the low-mid 90’s and touching 96 miles per hour.

Furthermore, there’s a recent precedent from 2012. That year, the fifth spot in the rotation was up for grabs and was ultimately (and surprisingly) won by Drew Smyly. Smyly was the 68th overall pick in the 2010 draft. He quickly progressed through the minors and prior to the 2012 season, had not pitched above the Double-A level. In 2011, as a 21-year-old, he went 11-6 with a 2.07 ERA, 9.3 strikeouts per nine, and a 3.61 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Prior to the 2012 season, his scouting report on Fangraphs read:

Smyly was pushed aggressively through the system but, unlike a number of other prospects, was deserving of the move. He has both polish and an impressive four-pitch repertoire; he understands how to mix his pitches throw off hitters’ timings. Smyly doesn’t throw as hard as many of Detroit’s "typical pitching prospects" but he shows decent velocity in the 87-92 mph range and keeps the ball down in the zone.

In five games in spring training in 2012, Smyly pitched 18 innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits and 7 walks, with 14 strikeouts. Smyly won the fifth spot in the rotation outright and had success from the get go. He started 18 games, threw 95 innings as a starter with a 3.79 ERA, 3.77 FIP, and a 3.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio, equating to 1.7 WAR for the season. He kept his spot in the rotation until a blister temporarily sidelined him and consequently lost his starting job to the newly acquired Sanchez.

Yes, there are obvious differences between the two. Smyly throws from the left side of the mound, Fulmer from the right. Smyly was a college draft choice, Fulmer was a high school arm. Smyly has a better off-speed repertoire, Fulmer throws a little bit harder. But, the similarities are also noteworthy as detailed in the table below:

Yes, there are plenty of (previously mentioned) reasons to keep Fulmer in the minors to start the season. However, many believe that baseball is now a young man’s game. In addition, the AL Central is completely wide-open. Perhaps a little boost from Fulmer will make the difference in the divisional race.