Detroit Tigers Breakout Star Wins First Major Award
The Detroit Tigers played pretty good baseball for most of July, and Colt Keith was a big reason why.
After slumping at the end of June, the Tigers finished the month eight games below .500. They got red-hot before the All-Star Break, however, and picked up where they left off after the break. Detroit started July 12-5, sweeping the Cincinnati Reds and taking series from the first-place Cleveland Guardians, first-place Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays.
After climbing to within one game of .500, the Tigers fell back to earth before the trade deadline, going 2-6 to close out the month and trading away Jack Flaherty. But for a brief shining moment, they looked like one of the best teams in baseball.
A big reason why was the play of rookie second baseman Colt Keith, who was named AL Rookie of the Month for July. Taylor Fitzgerald won the NL award for the San Francisco Giants.
Colt Keith: .322 AVG, 1.048 OPS, 7 HR, 17 RBI
— MLB (@MLB) August 3, 2024
Tyler Fitzgerald: .321 AVG, 1.239 OPS, 8 HR, 15 RBI
Your AL and NL Rookies of the Month for July! pic.twitter.com/78lYzhuNrC
Keith, 22, hit his stride in July, batting .322/.404/.644 with seven home runs, 17 RBI and 18 runs. He reached base in 22 of 25 games, doing a great job setting the table from the two-hole in the lineup.
Keith's July was a big improvement over his first-half performance. He entered the month batting just .232/.278/.317, initially struggling in his first taste of the big leagues.
This is the first major MLB award for Keith, who debuted on Opening Day and was a fifth-round pick out of Biloxi High School in 2020. Detroit has already committed to Keith through the rest of the decade, signing him to a six-year, $28.6 million contract extension that runs through 2029 and includes team options for 2030 ($10 million), 2031 ($13 million) and ($15 million).
If Keith keeps progressing and playing like he did in July, he's going to be a massive bargain. The Tigers haven't spent their money wisely lately, but Keith already looks like a great investment.
TYLER MAHER