Ian Kennedy Blanks Dodgers Over 5 1/3; Victor Martinez A Nice Addition for Tigers

Players of the Day for Monday, March 21, 2011

American League

Victor Martinez

With or without their sometimes-sober superstar, Miguel Cabrera, the Detroit Tigers are going to contend in the AL Central. Strutting into first place in the Grapefruit League with an 18-9 record, Tiger bats were booming again in a 9-1 win over the hitting-impaired Astros.

Detroit pounded out 19 base hits, three of them off the bat of Victor Martinez, who singled, doubled twice, drove in a run and scored once in three at-bats.

Having spent 2009 in Boston, where he batted .302 with 20 homers and 79 RBI, Martinez landed back in the Central division via free agency. He spent the first 7 1/2 years of his major league career toiling in Cleveland, but now has hooked up with Detroit and should provide another solid bat.

National League

Ian Kennedy

Arizona's Ian Kennedy may be turning into the kind of player fantasy addicts appreciate.

Now in his second season with the Diamondbacks after spending three fruitless years with the Yankees, Kennedy is at that point in his career where he's either going to get it or not.

In Monday's 3-0 blanking of the Dodgers, Kennedy work 5 1/3 innings, giving up three hits, three walks and no runs, striking out six in his 5th tune-up of the Spring.

The righty hurler went 9-10 with Arizona last season, which isn't bad considering they finished so far behind the rest of the division they were essentially done by July. His 3.80 ERA and 168 Ks in 194 innings were quality numbers, worth a look in 2011.