by Zach Bigalke

Created on: March 12, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Two simple letters: N-O.

Willis will be on a better team... but merely changing leagues and area codes is not enough to take Dontrelle back to the highest heights of 2005...

Dontrelle Willis came into Major League Baseball as a hot commodity. But now he finds himself two years removed from his career season. Each of the past two seasons his ERA and WHIP have ballooned. His unorthodox delivery, which once had him receiving comparisons to Juan Marichal and Vida Blue, now only has fans wondering when his arm is going to finally blow out. The Tigers have a great defense... but not even the best defense ever can fix Dontrelle's mechanics. A change of scenery will only do so much for the beleagured pitcher. Willis has seen his strikeout numbers decrease every season since that 2005 campaign. He has experienced problems in that arm in the past...

And now, on top of this, Willis must now face American League lineups. He no longer gets to use his hitting skills (.286 in 2007) to help the team. One of the things that always made Willis more desirable in the National League was the fact that he could hit. There will be a designated hitter to take his slot in the batting order... so his offensive pop will go unrealized. He will have a tough adjustment period as he acclimates himself to the nuances of a new league, and his delivery is not going to change at this point in his career. Willis will be facing much better batters in the American League than he ever battled in the National League. He won't have soft bottoms to the line-up to bolster his numbers.

There are simply too many factors going against Willis. No change in scenery, ballpark, uniform or coaching staff is going to be able to manipulate his mechanics to keep his arm better protected. He will continue to use his unorthodox delivery, and will continue to be at risk for a career-ending injury. Dontrelle Willis faces an uphill battle as he begins a new season with a new team. He can still be a servicable pitcher at times, but he will not be able to turn around his misfortunes to rediscover his 2005 form... especially not in Detroit.

Learn more about this author, Zach Bigalke.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.