Several Emerging Detroit Tigers Hitters Mentioned Among Best Rookies in 2024
The Detroit Tigers' emergence over the last few weeks has shocked everyone in the baseball world. Written off following the moves they made ahead of the MLB trade deadline, they have thrust themselves back into the playoff picture.
It has been a long time since the Tigers played anything resembling an important game after the All-Star break, so this is an exciting time in Detroit. While making a postseason run remains unlikely, fans are being treated to some great baseball in the second half of the season.
A driving force behind this resurgence has been the improvements at the plate. The Tigers are receiving production from a lot of their young players who are excelling in expanded roles.
Their performances have not gone unnoticed.
Over at Bleacher Report, Joel Reuter has ranked the rookies during the 2024 season.
While Detroit didn’t have anyone crack the top 25, Reuter did have several of their hitters land in the honorable mention part of his piece.
Representing the Tigers are second baseman Colt Keith and outfielders Parker Meadows and Wenceel Perez.
Keith has been extremely reliable for A.J. Hinch, playing in a team-high 122 games through August 28th. There have been ebbs and flows in his performance, which is expected from a rookie.
One month Keith is on fire and another he is cold.
But, overall, he has been solid with a .262/.312/.391 slash line, hitting 14 doubles, 12 home runs and seven stolen bases with 48 runs scored and 52 RBI. He ranks in the top five of most offensive categories on the team.
Meadows has looked like a totally different player since returning from a stint on the injured list on August 3rd. In 19 games and 80 plate appearances, he has produced a .329/.363/.592 slugging percentage, picking up right where he left off in his brief July stint in the lineup.
He has provided the team with a spark in the lineup, as his speed has been a valuable weapon. In addition to his production at the plate, Meadows has been stellar defensively in center field.
Perez is currently on the injured list because of an oblique injury. He has begun some light rehab work, but there was reportedly a chance his 2024 campaign was over after suffering the injury.
Before going down, he had cemented his standing as the team’s lead-off hitter, providing strong defense in right field as well.
Those three players look like they will be part of the team’s core for years to come. Keith is only 22 years old, while Meadows and Perez are both 24.
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.