Two former Tigers are now one step away from the World Series title, and the bigger miss may be Liam Hicks rather than Ryan Vilade.
Vilade has already made his mark with the Rays, much to the annoyance of Tigers fans. He delivered a go-ahead home run in Game 3 of the ALDS to help Tampa Bay finish off the Yankees. Hicks, though, is the lesser-known name with the more painful Detroit connection.
The catcher came into the Tigers organization as part of the 2024 Carson Kelly deadline trade, arriving from the Rangers with pitcher Tyler Owens. In Double-A with the SeaWolves, Hicks put together a .272 average and .782 OPS in 33 games, with most of the damage coming from a huge .414 on-base percentage.
Detroit had to make a call in the Rule 5 draft, and the front office chose to protect pitchers Owens, Tyler Mattison and Chase Lee. Only Mattison remains in the organization. Hicks and third baseman Gage Workman were left exposed, and both were taken - Hicks by the Marlins, Workman by the Cubs.
Workman eventually returned to the Tigers after bouncing between both Chicago clubs. He played 16 major league games for Detroit this season, hit his first two career homers, and then got moved to the Padres with Casey Mize at the deadline.
Hicks moved again at the deadline too, going from the Marlins to the Rays in a trade for three prospects. Since then, he has become a key piece in Tampa Bay’s World Series chase.
His postseason line looks modest at first glance - .222 with a .559 OPS in nine games behind the plate - but that doesn’t tell the full story. Hicks has supplied above-average defense at catcher and continued to work deep counts under pressure. He came through in the Rays’ ALCS Game 2 win over the Guardians with a two-run single that gave Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead.
To be fair to Scott Harris, the Tigers didn’t really have a clear path for Hicks. Dillon Dingler was being positioned as Detroit’s catcher of the future, and Jake Rogers was still viewed as a vital part of the roster at the time.
A Dingler-Eduardo Valencia pairing still has some appeal, especially if Dingler rebounds from his second-half slump and Valencia sharpens his defense. But it’s hard to ignore the sight of a former Tigers catcher sitting four wins from a championship while Detroit watches from home.
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