Colt Keith DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Detroit Tigers second baseman Colt Keith is making swing adjustments. The former fifth-round selection expressed that he could never get the most out of his power during his rookie campaign. He had typically been unable to generate enough momentum forward, which resulted in his lower exit velocity. In addition, this caused the 23-year-old to hit a lot of ground balls to the right side of the field. However, Keith has emphasized modifying his swing, which should help him tap into the power he has flashed in the minor leagues. Over his first season in the majors (138 games), Keith hit just 13 home runs with a .380 SLG. However, across 67 career games at Triple-A, Keith hit 13 home runs with a strong .521 SLG. In addition to his swing adjustments, Keith is expected to shift to first base in 2025, with the Tigers signing second baseman Gleyber Torres. The 23-year-old is an intriguing pick later in drafts as he could take the next step in his progression during his sophomore season.

The Detroit Tigers will move infielder Colt Keith to first base next year after signing second baseman Gleyber Torres in free agency, according to general manager Scott Harris. Torres will be Detroit's everyday second baseman. The 23-year-old Keith will be playing first base for the first time in his professional career next year and will have eligibility in fantasy at both second and first, giving him a bit more value. With Keith now at first base, it's unclear what role former first-rounder Spencer Torkelson will fill, but it's possible he could be more of a full-time designated hitter. Keith, who hits from the left side, had flashes in his first big-league season in 2024 and finished with a .260/.309/.380 slash line with a below-average .689 OPS, 13 home runs, 61 RBI, seven steals and 54 runs in 516 at-bats. He will need to improve his batted-ball metrics in order to take a step forward in his sophomore season in 2025.

According to Chris McCosky, the Tigers are planning to use Colt Keith and Justyn-Henry Malloy at first base during Spring Training. While McCosky noted that Keith will still likely operate as the regular second baseman, this move could just add more positional flexibility to the roster. Keith made his major league debut last season and logged 133 of his starts at the keystone and the other 14 as the designated hitter. He held a .260/.309/.380 slash line. Malloy, however, made all of his starts in the outfield, and shifting to first base could provide him more opportunities during the 2025 season. Across a 71-game stint in the majors this past summer, Malloy held an underwhelming .203/.291/.366 line with seven doubles and eight home runs. Given his struggles, moving to first base could get him in the lineup more often, while Keith should be viewed as the No.1 second baseman heading into Spring Training.

Detroit Tigers rookie second baseman Colt Keith will start on the bench in Game 5 of the American League Division Series on Saturday at Progressive Field against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians with a lefty on the mound. Andy Ibanez will make the start at the keystone and will bat cleanup against Guardians left-hander Matthew Boyd. Ibanez, 31, isn't your typical No. 4 hitter. The Cuban infielder hit a mediocre .241/.295/.357 during the regular season with a below-average .652 OPS, five home runs, 32 RBI and 30 runs scored in 244 trips to the plate over 99 games played in his second year in Detroit. He picked up hits in each of the first two playoff games in the Wild-Card Series against the Houston Astros but has gone hitless in four games since. Overall, he's gone 2-for-8 with two doubles, three RBI and a strikeout in six games (eight plate appearances). Ibanez has gone hitless in his two career at-bats against Boyd with one strikeout.

Detroit Tigers rookie second baseman Colt Keith will retreat to the bench for Monday's Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field with a left-hander on the mound. Andy Ibanez will start at second base for the Tigers and will hit third in the batting order against Guardians left-hander Matthew Boyd. The lefty-hitting Keith has never faced Boyd in his career and will take a seat in this one despite the fact that he hit .305 (25-for-82) with just one of his 13 home runs on the year against southpaws in 2024. Ibanez, meanwhile, hit .292 (40-for-137) against lefties this year, but he lacks enough punch at the plate to make him a very enticing DFS sleeper pick. The 31-year-old Cuban infielder slashed a modest .241/.295/.357 this year with only five home runs, 32 RBI and 30 runs scored in 224 at-bats.