Detroit Tigers Shortstop On the Cusp of Top 25 in Positional Power Rankings
While there are not many who can say that they expected the Detroit Tigers to make the playoffs in 2024 before the season started, even fewer can say that they expected the team to do so after undergoing a sell-off at the trade deadline.
In what was originally looked at as a sign of defeat, the sell-off at the deadline quickly became a turning point in the year that was for the Tigers, as they proceeded to go on an unheard-of run down the stretch, playing well enough to land the third Wild Card berth for the playoffs.
One piece they received as part of the trade deadline sell-off, Trey Sweeney, proved to be a vital cog in the machine down the stretch for Detroit.
Sweeney made his Major League debut on August 16th, just over two weeks after coming over as part of the return for Jack Flaherty going to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his performance was enough for Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report to give him an honorable mention, landing just on the cusp of the top 25 in Reuter's shortstop power rankings.
Offensively, it was not the best start to a career for Sweeney, as he batted .218/.269/.373 with four home runs, 17 RBI, and an 81 OPS+ across 119 plate appearances in 36 games.
Despite the struggles to find his footing at the plate at the Major League level, Sweeney was spectacular defensively, accruing two outs above average in his short stint with the team, a nine outs above average pace across 162 games, good enough to land in the 78th percentile in Major League Baseball per Baseball Savant.
Sweeney's defense more than made up for the lack of consistent production at the plate, and the young fielder finished the year with 0.8 bWAR, a 3.6 bWAR pace across 162.
Sweeney spent time at the Triple-A level this year for the first time in his career, and he batted .267/.345/.450 with 15 home runs, 71 RBI, and 20 stolen bases across 487 plate appearances in 107 games, showing good speed and an ability to hit well situationally with his high RBI total.
The shortstop has proven to be durable throughout his time as a professional baseball player, as he has played in 100 or more games in each of his three full years since being drafted in 2021.
Sweeney got a taste of the Major Leagues in 2024, and with what he has shown so far, at least defensively, he could be a big part of the Tigers' plans for the future.
