Detroit Tigers DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene (elbow) said he's feeling good after starting to swing a bat for the first time since having Tommy John surgery. "The first couple of swings I took when I started my hitting progression went really good. Didn't feel a thing. It really feels normal now," Greene said. The 23-year-old has been swinging a bat now for around a month and is almost five months removed from the surgery on his right elbow. Expect him to be eased into action in spring training, but barring any setbacks, the young outfielder should be ready to go for Detroit on Opening Day. Greene hit .288/.349/.447 with 11 home runs, 37 RBI, seven stolen bases and 51 runs scored in 99 games in 2023 before going under the knife. There is a lot of swing and miss to his game, but all his other metrics look solid and he should be Detroit's starting center fielder in 2024 with plenty of upside.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo may or may not make the team's Opening Day roster, according to Evan Woodberry of MLive. Baddoo put together a poor 2023 season, slashing .218/.310/.372 with 11 home runs, 34 RBI, and 14 stolen bases over 312 at-bats. The organization is high on Parker Meadows, who impressed with his defensive ability and speed on the basepaths in a small sample size of 37 games last season. The team could begin the season with Meadows at center field and Riley Greene and Matt Vierling occupying the corner outfield spots. That scenario doesn't leave room for Baddoo. He does have experience playing center field, however, so if Meadows were to struggle, he could fill in for him. The Detroit outfield should come into more focus as spring training gets underway, but for now, it looks like Baddoo could be on the outside looking in.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows has a shot to open the year as the team's starting center fielder. The 6-foot-5 24-year-old appeared in 37 games down the stretch for Detroit last season and slashed .232/.331/.368 with three home runs, 13 RBI, and eight stolen bases over 125 at-bats. He flashed the leather in center field as well. Riley Greene (elbow), who underwent Tommy John Surgery in the offseason is going to shift to a corner outfield spot, with some designated hitter days mixed in, to ease him back into action after his elbow procedure. The emergence of Meadows, particularly on the defensive side, allows the Tigers to comfortably shift Greene, who started 2023 as the team's everyday center fielder. There's a chance that Meadows struggles in spring training or gets off to a slow start to begin the season but the job sounds like it is his to lose. He could be an intriguing late-round OF target, depending on where he slots into the Tigers' lineup.

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team is planning for "optionality" at third base in 2024 between Matt Vierling, Andy Ibanez and Zach McKinstry. Prospect Colt Keith, who signed a long-term contract extension last weekend, will play second base and is expected to be an everyday contributor. The 27-year-old Vierling should be the primary third baseman coming out of spring training. The Tigers moved Vierling from the outfield to the hot corner in August of 2023. He's unlikely to be an above-average contributor on offense without hitting for more power. Ibanez, 30, responded to a bad start last year by hitting .294 with 10 homers in his final 87 games. Ibanez, who hits right-handed, and McKinstry set up as natural platoon partners at third base, but McKinstry struggled at the plate in 2023. Prospect Jace Jung could become the team's regular third baseman by the end of the 2024 season.

Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said the team won't shut the door on prospect Colt Keith playing third base in the future, but he will play second base in 2024. "We think Colt can play second and third. We think he has the chance to be an average or better second baseman. We also think it's going to save a little bit of the load on his arm and allow him to play the position really well," Harris said. Detroit signed Keith to a six-year contract extension just last weekend, and he'll be a candidate to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training. The 22-year-old is a bat-first infielder and has established himself as one of the better hitting prospects in the game. He hit .306/.380/.552 with 27 home runs in two minor-league stops in 2023 and will be appealing for his power in fantasy leagues, especially at the second base position.