Detroit Tigers Versatile Slugger Highlighted As Team’s 'Hidden Gem'
It has been a long time since the Detroit Tigers were playing meaningful games in September.
That is what has made this late-season push for a playoff spot from the team so much fun to watch.
The Tigers have been the best team in the American League since July 1, going 38-26. That has them right in the thick of the Wild Card race, only 2.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins, who currently occupy the final spot.
A lot of contributions have come from unexpected sources throughout the season.
Manager A.J. Hinch has been pushing all the right buttons, getting the most out of an undermanned pitching staff who is performing well above expectations.
For the majority of this hot streak, he has had two starting pitchers to rely on; Cy Young Award favorite Tarik Skubal and Keider Montero.
Openers and bulk pitchers have eaten up a large chunk of the other innings.
Elite pitching has carried the team, but there has also been some timely hitting. While their numbers overall aren’t spectacular, Detroit has had a few standout performers among the group.
One of them is the versatile Matt Vierling.
Acquired in the Gregory Soto deal from the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of the 2023 season, he was okay in his first year with the Tigers with a 98 OPS+ and 1.5 WAR across 134 games.
This season, he has taken his game to another level.
Vierling has a .258/.304/.432 slash line with 16 home runs, 26 doubles and five triples. He has scored 72 runs and knocked in 54, setting career highs across the board.
That production is part of the reason why Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report selected him as the team’s hidden gem of this campaign with another reason being the versatility he brings to the team by playing several positions.
“He has started at least 20 games at three different positions, splitting his time between third base, center field and right field, and he has filled a prominent spot in the top third of the batting order during Detroit's surge back into the wild-card picture,” Reuter wrote.
His performance at third base is a little shaky, but it is still nice for Hinch to know that he can use him there in a pinch if someone needs a day off. In the outfield, Vierling is elite, providing the best numbers in center field, but also being above average in left and his limited action in right.
With a projected WAR of 0.8 and an actual WAR of 2.3 this season, he has blown away expectations.
Turning 28 on Sept. 16, Vierling is under team control for three more years and looks like a core part of Detroit’s nucleus moving forward.
KENNETH TEAPE
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.