Saturday’s lineup against the Rockies looked a lot more like a preview than a typical late-season Tigers card.
All seven of Detroit’s rookie position players got into the game in the 11-7 win, the Tigers’ second straight victory in what turned into a sweep. Kevin McGonigle, Hao-Yu Lee, Eduardo Valencia, Max Clark, Brett Callahan and John Peck all started, while Ben Malgeri entered later for Callahan. With the postseason picture all but gone, AJ Hinch has clearly shifted toward the young core, and that means the evaluation for 2027 is already underway.
Some of these rookies are basically locked in. Others still have work to do.
Kevin McGonigle sits alone at the top. There’s not much mystery there after he burst out of the gate in the Tigers’ first series, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI on Opening Day. He has put together a season that should make him the American League Rookie of the Year, and Detroit has already extended him as a cornerstone piece for years to come.
Max Clark belongs in that same first tier, even if his start wasn’t quite as loud. Through 39 games, he’s batting .274 with a .799 OPS, and he’s already established himself as the Tigers’ best defensive option in center field.
Detroit is also beginning to let him use his speed more often. The bat profile is still taking shape - contact or power, that’s the question - but the overall package is hard to miss.
Hao-Yu Lee has climbed into the next group. His best month came in July, when he hit .296 with a .859 OPS, and he’s become a productive presence near the top of the order.
The energy shows up too, especially in his fiery reaction after a two-run triple against the Rockies on Saturday. The glove remains the issue, and it may be a big one, but the Tigers clearly like the bat.
Max Anderson could still create competition for his role in 2027.
Eduardo Valencia is in a similar spot, though his path could look different. He may eventually end up at first base or in a more DH-oriented role, but right now he’s the most obvious backup to Dillon Dingler behind the plate.
His rise has been one of the more striking success stories on the roster: a player who spent years grinding in the minors, at one point thought his career might be over, and then looked like an impact hitter almost immediately after the call-up. Josue Briceño’s future adds some uncertainty, and if Briceño’s bat lives up to the hype, Spencer Torkelson could be the one with something to worry about at first.
Then there’s the group that still has to prove it.
John Peck, Brett Callahan and Ben Malgeri have each flashed real traits this season. Peck brings speed and a solid contact bat.
Callahan has a big arm in left and has shown some pop. Malgeri may already be the Tigers’ best right fielder in quite some time, and he can run too.
Those skills matter, and they’ll help all three when spring training rolls around.
But the roster picture around them is crowded. Detroit’s infield remains packed, and Báez still has one year left.
In the outfield, Kerry Carpenter, Wenceel Pérez and Parker Meadows should all be back in the mix, even though none were hitting well before landing on the injured list. That means this final stretch is more than just extra reps.
For Peck, Callahan and Malgeri, it’s their chance to make the case that they should still be around in 2027.
In Other News...
Tigers Make Intriguing Lineup Change With Playoff Hopes Still Alive
The Tigers are still hanging around the edge of the postseason race, and every move now carries a little extra weight. Even after dealing Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize at the deadline because the season had gone sideways, Detroit has managed to keep its name in the conversation in mid-September, sitting eight games under .500 and 4.5 games out of the final American League wild card spot.
That is what makes the latest lineup shift worth watching as the club continues its series against the Blue Jays. Detroit opened the set with a win despite bullpen concerns, but it will have to move ahead without catcher Dillon Dingler, with Eduardo Valencia and Kevin McGonigle stepping into larger roles as the Tigers try to keep the last flicker of hope alive. [Read more 🡒]
Kenley Jansen's Tigers Finish Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Kenley Jansens latest trip to the mound in Detroit only added to the intrigue around the Tigers stretch run. He picked up the 495th save of his career in a win over the Rockies, a reminder that even at this stage, he remains one of the most accomplished closers in the sport and still has a clear chance to join one of baseballs most exclusive clubs.
The number itself is now within reach, but the path is the tricky part. Jansen needs five more saves in the final 13 games, and whether he gets there will depend on his own effectiveness, his health and how often the Tigers can actually put him in save situations. The talent is still there, but the schedule and the standings will have their say too. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Kept Their Playoff Push Alive In A Comeback They Desperately Needed
For a Tigers club clinging to its place in the American League wild-card race, Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre delivered exactly the kind of survival win it needed. Detroit outlasted the Blue Jays 6-5 in a game that kept shifting, with the Tigers answering pressure all afternoon and refusing to let Torontos early edge turn into a finish that would have stung far more than a single loss.
Toronto starter Jos Soriano was rolling toward history, carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning and a no-hitter into the seventh before Detroit finally broke through. The decisive moment came in the ninth, when the Tigers pushed across the winning run on a throwing error by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the sort of messy, hard-earned break that can keep a postseason chase alive when every game feels like it carries extra weight. [Read more 🡒]