Clark ended up hitting a triple after I posted that. .413 average and a 1.121 OPS now. I’m not sure what else he can do to get the call.
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How well his glove would play was the question with him regarding sticking at SS. He is answering the question in spades.
Future
Dingler at C
KM at third
Rainer at ss
Keith at second
Briceno at first or Tork if he is still here.
Green LF
Clark CF
and somebody in RF
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Chris Gonzalez. He is my favorite player in our system bar none. I know he is a little further away but he gives me serious Aaron Judge vibes.
Yea he, think you meant Chris Rodriguez, is definitely one to watch and expect to be in Detroit by 28.
Trying to keep it to who would be there by mid 2027, Rainer is iffy as he is still in Lakeland, expect a bump to W Mi soon and hopefully finish in AA.
Only OF in the system that could fit that is Callahan. But for now it remains Carpenter
But love C Rodriguez
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That was pretty stupid if me. Call a guy my favorite prospect and then get his name wrong.
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Regarding McGonigle’s day off in the Twin series.
Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle gets rest, held from starting lineup
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Manager AJ Hinch warned this day was coming. And it won’t be the last one.
Rookie Kevin McGonigle was not in the Tigers’ starting lineup Thursday for the finale against the Twins. It was his first non-start day of the season.
“All these guys need a little recovery,” Hinch said. “There’s not a game we’re going to play where I don’t want him in the lineup. But that doesn’t mean we can’t pay attention to the workload we’re putting on him.”
McGonigle, 21, has played every inning in the club’s first 12 games. He leads the team with 14 hits and his .808 OPS is third highest. Hinch understands the optics of sitting one of his best hitters during a four-game losing streak are bad.
But there are broader issues at hand.
“I know when things aren’t necessarily going our way there’s the thought that these guys can just continue on,” Hinch said. “But we have a plan and we’re going to stick with it. There’s going to be more (off days for McGonigle). We are going to be very aware of what we’re putting on this young guy.”
Hinch was hopeful of giving McGonigle the entire game off. But, just like he did with Spencer Torkelson and Parker Meadows on their day off Wednesday, he won’t hesitate to insert him if the game calls for it.
Tigers’ Dillon Dingler among MLB.com’s players ‘opening eyes’ early in season
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The 27-year-old is hitting .265 with an .861 OPS (second on the team) in 11 games. His two home runs are tied for the team lead, and his eight RBIs lead the way. The Gold Glove Award winner also is once again turning in strong work behind the plate.
Dingler on Friday is one of 10 players MLB.com identified as “opening eyes” in the early stages of 2026.
“Dingler established himself as the surefire everyday catcher for the Tigers in 2025, winning a Gold Glove and posting a .752 OPS with 13 home runs in 126 games,” MLB.com’s Brent Maguire writes. “The 27-year-old backstop is seemingly taking it up a notch in 2026. … Dingler already had solid contact quality numbers last year, but he’s raised his level thus far, barreling a fifth of his baseballs (entering Thursday’s games) and recording hard-hit batted balls nearly 60% of the time. If Dingler has found a new offensive level, his all-around game could make him one of baseball’s top catchers.”
More questions at the link
Tigers mailbag Part 2: Time to worry about Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and Detroit’s core?
Besides Kevin McGonigle and Colt Keith, what positives have you seen from the offense? Is there any hope for reinforcements for middle relief? — Matt T.
So there’s a really nerdy stat called xwBAcon (expected weighted on-base average on contact) that uses exit velocity and launch angle to measure quality of contact. The Tigers rank fifth in the league right now with a .382 xwOBAcon. Tigers hitters also aren’t whiffing as much as you might expect. The team’s 25 percent whiff rate as of Thursday was only the 20th highest. I’m not sure a 13-game sample can tell us too much, good or bad, about this team. But again, there are numbers that suggest the offense is performing better than it might feel like at times.
How does the team fix its putrid approach at the plate, especially with runners in scoring position? — Scott V.
The Tigers entered Thursday’s game with a .320 average with runners in scoring position, the very best in baseball. Their 22.5 percent strikeout rate in those scenarios was the 13th highest — so not great, but also not terrible. Even last season, they ranked 10th with a .258 average with runners in scoring position.
Have the Tigers been playing their best baseball? Clearly not. Are their long stretches of scoreless innings frustrating? Absolutely. Have they missed out on a few big opportunities? You bet.
But it’s funny how the emotions of a few bad at-bats can obscure the whole picture.
The biggest issue with this offense has probably been the lack of home-run power. Interestingly, though, Tigers hitters are performing pretty well in a lot of underlying metrics. There’s a pretty sizable gap between the team’s actual slugging percentage (.361) and its expected slugging percentage (.408).
At this point, we should probably mention how pitching has been as big a problem — if not bigger. The Tigers entered Thursday’s game with a 4.40 ERA. Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez both had rough starts in Minnesota. Those guys are good enough that they should be fine. But the Tigers need their staff as a whole to be close to elite to make up for some of the offensive holes. So far, that has not been the case.
One, will Riley be anything more than a DH in the future due to his limited defensive abilities? Will he ever change his hitting strategy with runners in scoring position due to his complete and utter failure over the years? — Stan W.
It’s early, but we should note Greene’s average sprint speed has slightly ticked up from 26.7 feet per second last year to 27 feet per second this season. That’s still a far cry from the 28.1 he was at back in 2023. Greene’s speed decline absolutely has me worried about what this looks like in a few more years. But I do think he’s capable of being better than the minus-7 Defensive Runs Saved he was worth last season.
Also, frustrating as he can look at times, Greene entered Thursday as a career .271 hitter with a .777 OPS with runners in scoring position. It’s just not true to say he’s bad in those spots. He entered Thursday 5-for-13 (.385) with RISP this year!
Unfortunately, several ugly at-bats in high-pressure moments (and a couple of pitches he should have challenged) have caused people to think Riley is inept with runners on base, even though that’s not actually true. He struggled badly last season in key moments — hitting .128 in “late and close” situations — but it’s not always as bad as it seems.
One thing I do think this front office puts far more focus on in the players they acquire, draft FA etc is hitting and approach at the plate. The last front office talked the talk but you didn’t see it on the players in the system. You do now.
I remember a scout telling years ago with regards to Tiger hitters in the system and in Detroit, during DD years. MLB players rarely change their approach or more to the point, develop a better eye once they hit the big leagues. Their approach got them to the big leagues and baseball is hard enough.
I believe one reason Green is struggling a bit is the changes he worked hard on in the offseason from last year. Hoping he is still finding his way a bit with the different approach.
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Which current everyday player do you envision being here in three years besides McGonigle and Keith? Does the club ever look to take action beyond coaching for the poor strike zone plate discipline? — Daniel G.
Dillon Dingler, for sure. We should probably have more appreciation for how quickly Dingler has blossomed into one of the game’s top catchers.
Another way to think about Greene and Torkleson is this: They’re both good players, but perhaps not the type who will warrant lucrative contract extensions. As you mentioned, Keith will still be under contract in three years. If his breakout continues, he could look like quite a value — assuming he eventually settles into some sort of defensive home.
The fact that the Tigers don’t have other core players who project to still be here in three to four years isn’t necessarily unusual. You could even argue it’s a good thing the Tigers don’t have aging, expensive players who will bog them down years into the future.
There is eventually some reshaping to do here. And there is plenty riding on McGonigle, Max Clark and Bryce Rainer becoming the players they’re projected to be. When it comes to plate discipline, the Tigers have hope the next wave of prospects will have a better profile when it comes to contact and pitch selection. Those players are the next torchbearers for the franchise — just as Greene and Torkelson once were only a few short years ago.
Sometimes baseball is just a tough cycle.
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Riley-Carp-Tork hitting 5-6-7 today.
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Oh snap. Dingler is hitting cleanup today. McGonigle is leading off.
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We can’t lose today to a guy named Junk. We just can’t.
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Good 1st inning for Mize and a leadoff double from some guy named McGonigle. Anyone heard of him?
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I have a sneaking suspicion McGonigle might be pretty good.
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And a double by Keith to score McGonigle. Its the bat brothers.
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RBI single for Green. Keep the pony ride spinning!
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That’s a good sign.
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These bats were due for some good luck.
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https://x.com/i/status/2043017843780800852
This the guy we’re sending down?
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