The Detroit Tigers were one of the 2024 season’s biggest revelations, making noise in the postseason by first shocking the Houston Astros in the Wild Card series and then giving the Cleveland Guardians all they could handle in the ALDS. The driving force behind their success?
Pitching, and lots of it. On the flip side, the bats were relatively quiet, with the team ranking 24th in batting average, 28th in on-base percentage, and 22nd in slugging.
The off-season plan to shake things up saw the Tigers sign former Yankee Gleyber Torres, but the real potential for growth might lie within their ranks.
Enter Colt Keith, the former top prospect who is stepping in as Detroit’s new first baseman. The Tigers nabbed him in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB draft, and while he spent a good chunk of 2024 covering second base, he’s showing promising signs of being ready for his new role.
Keith’s 2024 numbers—.260/.309/.380 with 13 homers and 61 RBIs—were solid but didn’t quite set the world on fire. Fast-forward to spring training, though, and Keith is turning heads, especially with his recent performance against Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler.
Battling a tough customer, Keith coolly worked his way to a 2-0 count, then pounced, slapping an RBI double just where it was needed to drive in two runs.
At 23, Keith is hitting .306 this spring, which is music to the ears of Tigers fans. His agility across the infield suggests he’s more than capable of mastering the ins and outs of first base, a position where his offensive skills will be crucial to offset Torres’ addition.
“I’m feeling better and better there every day,” Keith shared with MLB Network’s Hot Stove. His dedication to getting reps in has him throwing better and gaining valuable game experience.
The Tigers boast a lineup that leans heavily left, featuring Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Jace Jung, and Trey Sweeney. Yet, Keith seems to defy the trend with his reverse splits from 2024—shining more against left-handed pitchers than right, a .718 OPS against lefties versus a .684 against righties. While the sample size isn’t vast, if Keith can maintain this trend, he could become a key piece in thwarting opposing lefties from plowing through the lineup and taking his overall game to the next level.
It’s an exciting time for Tigers fans, as the team looks to build on its surprising success from last year. With a few spring surges and strategic player moves like these, Detroit might just be sitting on a formula for another memorable season. Keep an eye on Colt Keith; he might just be the spark this lineup needs to light up the scoreboard in 2025.
