Detroit — In an odd way, having three position players selected to the All-Star Game Tuesday illustrated the duality of the Tigers’ manic ride through the first 96 games.
On a team that ranks ninth in American League in slugging, 10th in runs scored and OPS, 12th in on-base percentage and 13th in batting average, they still had three players who produced offensively at the top of their respective positions.
Dillon Dingler is the top-rated catcher in the American League in terms of wins above replacement. Kevin McGonigle is second only to Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop. And Riley Greene is second to Randy Arozarena among left fielders.
And yet, there were long stretches, particularly in May, when the Tigers could barely cobble two runs together.
“I think that the team you are seeing here recently is the team everyone expected to see,” McGonigle said. “It’s the team we expected to be.”
After posting a team OPS of .597 in May, the Tigers posted the second-best OPS in the league in June (.797). They also hit the most homers (49), slugged a league-high .476 and scored the fourth-most runs (137).
Will the real Tigers’ offense please stand up and stay standing.
As productive as the three All-Stars were, several other vital parts of the offense have underperformed. Spencer Torkelson, despite 16 homers, Matt Vierling and Kerry Carpenter will all carry a negative WAR into the final two and a half months. Zach McKinstry and Colt Keith, despite some recent surges, are barely in the positive.
The matchup-based formula the Tigers have used so successfully to gain an edge and win on the margins has faltered. Pinch-hitters are hitting .148 (18-for-121).
Injuries to key players like Parker Meadows, Javier Báez and most recently Gleyber Torres altered the initial roster design and impacted the functionality of both the starting lineup and bench moves.
Couple that with the unexpected inconsistency throughout the lineup and you get a team with a 200-point OPS swing from one month to the next.
Unless they trade for another bat or two, the only help on the horizon is Torres, who is expected to return to the lineup before the end of July. So, if the Tigers are going to build on this 21-14 surge since June 1 and stay in the playoff chase, they’re going to need some folks to heat up.
Here are the midterm assessments of the Tigers’ position-player group:
Catchers
Dillon Dingler, 2.8 WAR, .262/.323/.508, 127 OPS-plus: There wasn’t a better catcher in baseball in the first half. He leads all catchers in doubles, RBIs, slugging percentage and OPS. And he’s second in homers. He’s got 34 two-out RBIs. He’s slashing an incredible .386/.481/.818 with two outs and runners in scoring position. A Gold Glove defender, he is in the top three percentile in blocking and framing and he’s an ABS master, leading baseball with 103 called strikes gained above average.
Mid-term grade: A
Jake Rogers, 0.3 WAR, .176/.273/.329, 67 OPS-plus: A true testament of his importance came when Dingler had to miss a couple games right before the break. Rogers stepped in and hit two homers, reached base six straight times and caught three straight wins. His competence on the field and his leadership in the clubhouse are vital elements in this team’s DNA.
Mid-term grade: B-minus
Eduardo Valencia, 0.3 WAR, .500/.545/.1.100, 343 OPS-plus: It’s only been a couple of games but he’s provided one of the highlights of the season when he homered in his first big-league at-bat against the Athletics. The right-handed power, plus his ability to fill in at first base, will likely keep him on the roster for at least the first couple of series in the second half.
Mid-term grade: Inc.
Infielders
Spencer Torkelson, minus-0.5 WAR, .208/.305/.413, 98 OPS-plus: He has hit 16 home runs, which has kept his first half from being a total bust. He’s crushing four-seamers and sinkers, but opponents are getting him to chase those pitches out of the zone and then beating him with off-speed and spin. His 31% chase rate and 32.9% strikeout rate are career-highs. His track record says he’s a more complete hitter than he was in the first half, which could bode well for a hot second half.
Mid-term grade: C
Gleyber Torres, 1.8 WAR, .280/.395/.413, 121 OPS-plus: When he’s been in the lineup, the Tigers are 23-20 and the offense has sizzled. But he’s serving his second stint on the injured list with the same oblique strain. He’s should be close to returning after the break. He was expected to begin a rehab assignment in Florida this week, transferring to Triple-A Toledo after the break. He is also a pending free agent, which will likely keep his name in the trade deadline gossip.
Mid-term grade: B
Kevin McGonigle, 4.6 WAR, .283/.392/.420, 126 OPS-plus: It’s almost unprecedented what he’s done in the first half: Reached base 162 times, 99 hits, the only Tiger player aged 21 or younger to do that before the break was Al Kaline. Only Witt has a higher WAR in the American League. Most impressive is his plate discipline. He’s got more walks (60) than strikeouts (56) in 413 plate appearances. His chase rate (18.6%), whiff rate (15.9%) and strikeout rate (13.6%) are all among the lowest in baseball.
Mid-term grade: A
Colt Keith, 0.3 WAR, .245/.294/.391, 89 OPS-plus: He was hitting .326 with a .354 on-base percentage heading into May, but with no home runs. The homers started to come after June (eight) but the average plummeted. He’s essentially been a platoon player, getting all but 18 of his plate appearances against right-handed pitching. And it’s hard to make a case for more at-bats against lefties when he’s 1-for-17 against them. He’s also 1-for-18 as a pinch-hitter. He has improved noticeably at third base, with a plus-1 outs above average in the first half.
Mid-term grade: C
Zach McKinstry, 0.1 WAR, .197/.278/.298, 60 OPS-plus: It’s not a complete coincidence that the Tigers surged to 21-12 in games McKinstry played since June 1. After struggling mightily, along with the rest of the team in April and May (.457 OPS), he has produced a .693 OPS with three doubles, two triples and three homers the last month and a half. He’s also been his invaluably versatile self defensively, shuffling between shortstop and second base after playing a lot of outfield earlier in the year. There’s probably not enough time to rescue his stat-line, but his daily impact is undeniable. It will be interesting to see if his role is reduced when Torres returns.
Mid-term grade: C
Hao-Yu Lee, 0.1 WAR, .255/.288/.389, 86 OPS-plus: Since coming back up from Toledo on June 13, he’s hitting .318/.348/.455 with an .802 OPS. On top of that, his defense at second base has been a pleasant surprise, cushioning the blow from the absence of Torres. It remains to be seen if he holds his roster spot when Torres gets back.
Mid-term grade: C
Javier Báez, minus-0.5 WAR, .256/.280/.397, 86 OPS-plus: He’s been out since April 28 with a severe ankle sprain. His rehab work has endured some stops and starts but he had increased the intensity and volume of his baseball activities going into the break. The expectation is he will play again this season, though there is no word on when he will be cleared for competition.
Mid-term grade: Inc.
Outfielders
Riley Greene, 2.2 WAR, .288/.380/.462, 133 OPS-plus: He just keeps getting better. His .380 on-base percentage and .842 OPS are career highs. He’s cut his strikeout rate from 30.7% to a career-low 27%. He’s raised his walk rate from 7% to a career-best 12.8%. He’s hitting the ball hard nearly 50% (49.8) of the time he puts it in play. He’s got a .752 OPS against left-handed pitching. His defense is solid to spectacular. He is a perennial All-Star at age 25.
Mid-term grade: B-plus
Matt Vierling, minus-1.0 WAR, .206/.261/.336, 64 OPS-plus: After missing most of last season, he’s had a hard time finding his rhythm and timing. He’s still a consistent threat against left-handed pitching (.774 OPS) and his defense, especially in right field, has been stellar. But he will be the first to tell you, he’s still grinding to get back to his own performance standard. This is not a negative-WAR player.
Mid-term grade: C-minus
Kerry Carpenter, minus-0.2 WAR, .222/.297/.458, 106 OPS-plus: The fight to find consistency has been real. He slugged .573 with an .887 OPS and seven homers in June. But followed that up with a 3-for-29, no extra-base hits and 11 strikeouts so far in July. He’s carrying a career-high 31% strikeout rate. Pitchers are beating with spin. He’s hitting .071 with a 46% strikeout rate against sliders, .130 with a 48% strikeout rate against curveballs.
Mid-term grade: C-minus
James Outman, minus-0.2 WAR, .148/.212/.328, 47 OPS-plus: This was a shrewd pick-up by the Tigers, regardless of what he produces with the bat. His speed, his defensive acumen and arm speed in center field have helped solidify the Tigers outfield defense, which, with the absence of Meadows and Báez, was ranked near the bottom of baseball.
Mid-term grade: C-plus
Ben Malgeri, 0.0 WAR, .261/.357/.304, 87 OPS-plus: He’s only played in 11 games, but he’s shown advanced plate discipline and the ability to work long at-bats. His spot on the roster could be impacted both by the presence of right-handed hitting Valencia and the return of Torres.
Mid-term grade: Inc.
Wenceel Perez, minus-0.7 WAR, .180/.246/.348, 63 OPS-plus: It’s been a forgettable first half, in every aspect, for Perez. He didn’t make the team out of spring. He has struggled to find his rhythm all season and then he was shut down after a resistance band snapped off its hook during a postgame workout in Houston and broke an orbital bone near his left eye. There is still no timetable for his return.
Mid-term grade: C-minus
Jahmai Jones, minus-1.2 WAR, .137/.219/.221, 23 OPS-plus: He unfortunately became the face of the Tigers’ early struggles and wore the brunt of the fanbase’s frustration. A pivotal right-handed hitting bench bat last season (.970 OPS vs. lefties), Jones could not extricate himself from a season-long slump. From May to his release on July 9, he was 6-for-59 with 22 strikeouts. He was traded to the Red Sox for future considerations on Tuesday.
Mid-term grade: D
Parker Meadows, 0.1-WAR, .250/.308/.333, 79 OPS-plus: His first half, and possibly his season, ended on April 9 when he and Greene collided at full strength chasing a liner in the gap at Target Field. He suffered a concussion, facial lacerations and a shattered arm. He has yet to begin any kind of baseball activity.
Mid-term grade: Inc.
INCOMPLETE: Zack Short, Gage Workman, Jace Jung, Trei Cruz
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: The Detroit News’ 2026 Tigers midseason grades: Position players
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris McCosky, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
