This Surprising Tiger Will Be in Trouble if 2020 Season is Cancelled

As the 2020 MLB season sits in the balance, many of the league's players who were set to take the field this season may take a major hit to their egos, careers, and future earnings.

One such player is Tigers starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull, who may lose the chance to recover from a dismal 2019 season if the upcoming campaign is cancelled.

Turnbull's story thus far has been very interesting. After dominating with the then-Connecticut Tigers with an 11-3 record and a 3.01 ERA in 2015, Turnbull unfortunately missed the 2016 season with a shoulder injury. After that delay, Turnbull reemerged with a 7-3 record and a similar ERA at the High-A level. Following that success, Turnbull continued to advance, and made his major league debut in 2018.

Due for an expanded role in 2019, Turnbull made the starting rotation that year, but his results were dismal, with just three wins, an ERA of 4.61 and league-leading 17 losses.

Despite those brutal numbers, Turnbull rebounded in this year's Spring Training. While it is a small sample size of four starts, Turnbull had an ERA under 1.00 in 11 innings pitched with 13 strikeouts. Those numbers were promising, but a canceled MLB season would put an end to all that momentum.

Additionally, Detroit's strong minor league system will be in play with potentially expanded rosters this year, or in 2021, with many pitchers champing at the bait to take Turnbull's spot after sitting out a full campaign.

These situations may create trouble for Turnbull if he fails to carry the spring success into this season or stray away from last year's struggles. Initially set to be a potential high-profile trade target if he had a strong summer this season, a cancelled 2020 season would not help his cause, decreasing his potential pay day as he becomes ever more irrelevant in Detroit's rotation.