The Tigers made a notable roster move, designating outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy for assignment to clear space on the 40-man for reliever Kyle Finnegan. It’s the first DFA of Malloy’s career, and it comes after a season in which the 24-year-old saw extended time in Detroit’s lineup but couldn’t quite find his footing at the plate.
Malloy, acquired from the Braves in a December 2022 trade that sent right-hander Joe Jimenez to Atlanta, was once viewed as a promising bat-first prospect. His rise through the minors was fast and impressive-he reached Triple-A in 2022, just a year after being drafted in the sixth round.
That season, he posted a 144 wRC+ across three levels, showing off his ability to get on base and hit for power. Detroit saw enough to make him a key piece in the Jimenez deal, which also brought lefty Jake Higginbotham into the fold.
Fast forward to the present, and the trade hasn’t yielded much return for the Tigers. Jimenez, despite some injury issues, has been a steady contributor in Atlanta’s bullpen. Higginbotham, meanwhile, topped out at Triple-A for Detroit, appearing in just one game at that level before signing with San Diego as a minor league free agent.
As for Malloy, the tools that made him a top-10 prospect in the Tigers’ system haven’t quite translated at the major league level. In 357 career plate appearances with Detroit, he’s hit just .209 and struck out at a concerning 32.8% clip. While the power has flashed-he slugged eight homers during his stint with the big league club in 2024-his swing-and-miss issues have been a persistent problem.
Malloy’s 2024 season with Triple-A Toledo showed both promise and red flags. He launched 23 home runs and continued to draw walks at an impressive clip, but his strikeout rate climbed to 28%. When he got the call to Detroit in June, the strikeouts only got worse, ballooning to 37% against big league pitching.
Still, there are things to like in Malloy’s offensive profile. He’s always had a sharp eye at the plate-his career walk rate sits at 12%, and his chase rate remains below 20%, which tells us he’s not expanding the zone much.
The issue isn’t pitch selection-it’s making contact when he does swing. His whiff rate in 2024 was a sky-high 36.6%, and though he brought it down to 29.1% this past season, that’s still well below the league average.
In 2025, Malloy made some strides in cutting down the strikeouts, trimming his K-rate to 25.2%, which is at least in the realm of playable. But that progress came at a cost-his quality of contact dipped significantly.
After posting a respectable 37.8% hard-hit rate in his debut year, that number dropped to 31.1% this season. His barrel rate took an even steeper fall, from double digits in 2024 to just 4.1% in 2025.
That’s the kind of regression that raises eyebrows, especially for a player who needs to hit to stick.
Defensively, Malloy hasn’t offered much value. Originally drafted as a third baseman, he’s been used exclusively in the outfield since joining the Tigers, but the glove hasn’t been a strength.
He’s accumulated -4 Outs Above Average in his career and saw most of his action this past season as a designated hitter or pinch-hitter. That trend-combined with the offensive inconsistency-has pushed him toward a DH-only profile, which makes it tough to justify a roster spot when the bat isn’t clicking.
Malloy’s journey isn’t over, and there’s still a chance another club takes a flier on a hitter with a solid approach and some raw power. But for now, the Tigers have made their decision, opting to bring in bullpen help and move on from a player who, despite his pedigree, couldn’t quite put it all together in Detroit.