Detroit Tigers Continue To Find Offense From Unlikely Sources in Lineup
The Detroit Tigers earned their first victory of the season on Monday night with a 9-6 win over the Seattle Mariners to kick off a three-game road series.
In a game where the story entering the night was the first career start for top prospect Jackson Jobe, it was an offensive explosion that carried the Tigers to their first win.
Jobe flashed some of the potential that makes him such a highly rated prospect, but he wasn't super sharp and left after four innings. Fortunately, he got plenty of run support.
Detroit immediately took the pressure off with a six-run first inning, giving him a nice cushion before he even threw a pitch.
One of the most pleasant revelations in the Tigers' lineup thus far this year has been the resurgence of Spencer Torkelson, who looks like a completely different player after struggling last year and getting demoted.
Torkelson went 2-for-5 with a run on Monday, staying hot and boosting his slash line to .429/.579/.714.
The former No. 1 draft pick and top prospect has always had talent, though he appeared lost at the plate last season. Fortunately, some tweaks to his swing may have potentially salvaged his career.
Torkelson's renaissance has received a lot of attention thus far, but it's a player nobody saw coming who's caught the eye of Detroit fans.
Backup catcher Dillon Dingler, who entered the year as a relative afterthought, went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI on Monday. Through three games, he's batting .455/.455/.909 with a home run and five RBI.
Jake Rogers' defensive prowess will keep him in a regular role, but if Dingler has really taken a leap on offense, it could be much more of a platoon behind the plate than initially expected.
Dingler debuted last year but slashed just .167/.195/.310 over 27 games, leading many fans to dismiss the possibility that he could be a real contributor this season.
The 2020 second-round pick was not the elite prospect that some of his teammates were, but he was extremely productive in 71 games for Triple-A Toledo in 2024, batting .308/.379/.559 with 17 homers and 52 RBI.
After making the playoffs last year, the Tigers need production from unlikely sources again if they want to stay in contention. They already have the arms to compete, but scraping together enough runs will be critical.
Several players must step up in 2025, and guys like Dingler and Torkelson appear to be doing just that.
