Detroit Tigers Shortstop Lands 'Honorable Mention' Nod in Positional Power Rankings
It was a season that many within and around the Detroit Tigers organization will not soon forget.
Approaching the MLB trade deadline with a record below .500, all hope was lost for the team and their chances to contend, and a sell-off ensued with many veterans on the verge of free agency being shipped off to contenders.
Two months later, the Tigers were in the postseason, much earlier than anyone expected them to be during their lengthy rebuild.
While most of the playoff push stemmed from their pitching staff, including Tarik Skubal who is all but guaranteed to win the American League Cy Young Award after winning the American League Triple Crown, Detroit's young offense stepped their game up to a new level as the playoffs became a realistic possibility.
One veteran did remain on the offensive side through the sell-off in journeyman utility man Zach McKinstry.
Now on his third team through his first five years as a Major Leaguer, McKinstry brought depth and positional versatility to the Tigers' lineup down the stretch.
While the veteran did have appearances at five different positions throughout the 2024 campaign, the majority of his time this year was spent as a shortstop, and his performance there earned him an honorable mention nod in Bleacher Report's positional power rankings from Joel Reuter.
Offensively, McKinstry served much better at other positions, as while at shortstop he batted only .200/.248/.360 with 12 extra-base hits, 13 RBI, and a 66 OPS+ across 133 plate appearances in 41 games.
Without considering position, however, the utility man batted .279/.342/.414 with 11 extra-base hits, and eight RBI from the trade deadline through the end of the regular season across 123 plate appearances in 45 games.
That offensive surge down the stretch was a big part of Detroit's postseason push, helping to provide a spark throughout the young roster on offense and get the rest of the lineup going.
It was McKinstry's defense at shortstop that was his calling card, as the utility man had the best defensive showing of his career at that position so far, putting up four Outs Above Average per Baseball Savant, while carrying three Outs Above Average overall on the year, placing in the 82nd percentile in MLB.
The journeyman will turn 30 in April, and though he has not found a consistent place on one team's roster, he is still under team control for many years to come and could continue to prove to be a valuable depth piece for the Tigers as they continue to climb out of their rebuild.
