Detroit Tigers Emerging Infielder Ranked Among Best Rookies in American League
The Detroit Tigers are making an unexpected late push for a playoff spot in the American League. Despite being clear-cut sellers ahead of the deadline, they have turned things around over the last few weeks.
The Tigers are currently one of the hottest teams in baseball. Since dropping eight games under .500 on August 10th in a loss to the San Francisco Giants, they have won 11 out of 14 games.
They are now surprisingly back at the .500 mark, 6.5 games out of a wild card spot. While a playoff appearance is still unlikely, some very positive momentum is being built for the future of this franchise.
Several young players are emerging as the foundation of the roster moving forward. One of those players is second baseman Colt Keith.
Keith has responded after a very slow start to his rookie season. He hit an underwhelming .154 in March/April but has been on fire in May with a .324 batting average. An ice-cold June, where he hit .220 was followed up by a scorching July where he hit .322 with a .404 on-base percentage.
His season-long slash line is .266/.317/.398, hitting 14 doubles with three triples, 12 home runs and seven stolen bases. That has resulted in a 0.9 WAR and OPS+ of 100, and being recognized as one of the best rookies in the American League.
Former front office personnel member Jim Bowden has highlighted Keith as one of the best youngsters in the AL in 2024. He came in at No. 9 in his list of the top 10 over at The Athletic.
“...Defensively, he’s shown above-average range and ranks in the 80th percentile in outs above average. He’s a plus runner but needs to improve overall as a base runner,” Bowden said in addition to pointing out the roller coaster he has been on at the plate.
Consistency is the only true hole in Keith’s game currently. He is among several young, exciting players that the Tigers have in their lineup.
Parker Meadows has been excellent since coming back from the injured list and Spencer Torkelson has provided a spark since being recalled. They are all finding their stride at the same time, which is resulting in more wins against strong competition.
This hot streak has included series victories over the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. If the young players continue performing at this level, Detroit could be more than just spoilers down the stretch.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.