# 2024 Detroit Tigers final grades: Position players
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Spencer Torkelson, .219/.295/.374, 89 OPS-plus: He left broken in June and came back two-plus months later a whole lot better, on both sides of the ball. He hit .248 with a .781 OPS with six doubles, six homers and 19 RBIs from Aug. 17 on. There was never going to be enough time to fully salvage his season, but did he do enough to be given the first base job heading into camp? President Scott Harris didn’t indicate as much, saying only that this would be an important offseason for Torkelson and that he’d have to come to camp and earn the everyday spot. He is only 25 and nobody is giving up on him. But 1,469 plate appearances into his big-league career, it’s time for him to establish himself as a middle-of-the-order run producer.
Mid-term grade: D
Final grade: C-minus
Colt Keith, .260/.309/.380, 96 OPS-plus: Simply put, he had the best rookie season of any Tigers position player since Nick Castellanos back in 2014, banging out 134 hits with 32 extra-base hits and 61 RBIs. He had 35 multi-hit games, tied for most among American League rookies. He admitted to wearing down some physically late in September and into the postseason. But that only manifested itself in his power numbers. He had just four extra-base hits, one homer, after Aug. 24. His most impressive feat, though, might’ve been his growth at second base. He improved his range and especially his pivots on double-play balls.
Mid-term grade: B-minus
Final grade: B-minus
Jace Jung, .241/.362/.304, 93 OPS-plus: Every team needs a junkyard dog and this is the Tigers’ version. He will scrap and he will fight and whatever he lacks in natural athleticism, he makes up for with an indomitable will to succeed. He’s still raw defensively and he probably needs another couple hundred at-bats in Triple-A, as evidenced by his 31% strikeout rate in 94 plate appearances. Also, he hit just .190 with a 34.5% strikeout rate against four-seam fastballs. But the makeup is real, and his 16% walk rate and .362 on-base average are encouraging.
Mid-term grade: N/A
Final grade: Inc.
Parker Meadows, .244/.310/.433, 109 OPS-plus: If he wasn’t stealing home runs in the outfield, he was swatting two-strike, two-out game-winning hits and homers. He was at the center of just about every dramatic win the Tigers had down the stretch, the pinnacle being his ninth-inning grand slam in San Diego. Here’s all you need to know about his impact: The Tigers were 54-28 with him in the lineup. He had an OPS-plus of 50 when he was sent to Toledo in April. He finished with an OPS-plus of 109 after slashing .296/.340/.500 in the final 47 games. He had a productive postseason, too (7-for-26, two doubles and a homer). One of the joys of this season was seeing him blossom after struggling so badly in April.
Mid-term grade: D-plus
Final grade: B-plus
Riley Greene, .262/.348/.479, 133 OPS-plus: An All Star in his age-23 season and yet it still feels like he’s not even close to reaching his full potential. That bountiful upside is what’s so exciting about Greene’s robust talent and quest for greatness. For most of the season, opposing managers structured their bullpens around his late-game at-bats. He was the guy in the lineup they wouldn’t let beat them. And still he found a way to be productive. A hamstring strain interrupted his second half and he struggled in August. But in crunch time in September, he stepped up (.343 on-base, .837 OPS, four doubles, five homers, 18 RBIs, 15 runs scored). He was a plus-14 runs defensive saved in left field and was one of the Tigers’ best hitters in the ALDS (5-for-17 with three walks).
Mid-term grade: B-plus
Final grade: B
