Tigers stock report: Who's trending up on the 26-man roster?

New York Times

12 hours ago

DETROIT — We're 79 games into the season, only two games away from the halfway marker.
In what's been a terrific first half for the Detroit Tigers, we've already seen the full spectrum of ups and downs, highlights and disappointments. The Tigers have questions to answer in the days ahead — namely, how can they shore up their bullpen and rotation? — but this is still a team that entered Monday with an 8 1/2-game lead in the American League Central.
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Combining the long view with recent trends, here's a look at how each player on the active roster is trending.
OF Riley Greene: He leads the team's position players with 2.6 fWAR, and he's been on an absolute tear the past 14 days, hitting .370 with four home runs. He's trending toward a second straight All-Star appearance.
C Dillon Dingler: One of many pleasant surprises, Dingler has lived up to his prospect hype. He's hitting .273 with a 105 wRC+ and has terrific defensive metrics that are also putting him in the All-Star conversation.
OF Wenceel Pérez: As the Tigers have cooled off, the switch-hitting Pérez has been a godsend since his return from the IL, hitting six home runs (including three from each side of the plate) in only 78 plate appearances. If he continues to hit from the right side as well as the left, he could be an X-factor going forward.
RHP Tommy Kahnle: He's throwing his changeup even more often this year — now up to 84.7 percent of the time. No one has been able to hit it. Kahnle has a 1.35 ERA and eight saves.
RHP Chase Lee: The sidewinder with a great backstory has been an unlikely source of stability in a bullpen that has been beleaguered for the past month. Lee has arrived from Triple A and posted a 2.25 ERA in his first 24 innings, including performing better than expected against left-handed batters.
RHP Casey Mize: We've seen some ups and downs and hamstring concerns from Mize in the first half. But overall? He's 7-2 with 2.88 ERA and has thrown arguably the best baseball of his major-league career.
RHP Tarik Skubal: Skubal's stock couldn't get much higher. He leads all MLB pitchers with 3.9 fWAR. He is striking out more hitters, throwing harder and walking fewer batters than he did in last season's Cy Young Award campaign.
RHP Dylan Smith: Smith converted to relief before this season and jumped through the system, spending only 5 2/3 innings in Triple A before making his big-league debut. The third-round pick from the 2021 draft has put himself back on the map and could get bigger opportunities out of the bullpen in the days ahead.
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RHP Will Vest: Assuming all is well after a recent injury scare, Vest has turned himself into a dynamite reliever. He has a 2.50 ERA and averaged 10 K/9 with one of the best fastballs in the league.
IF Colt Keith: After a slow start to the season, Keith is hitting .277 with a .818 OPS since May 1. He's playing third base for the first time in his big-league career. If he can be reliable enough there, it changes the dynamic of the Tigers' lineup.
1B Spencer Torkelson: He's only 5 for his past 36 at the plate, but not to fear. Torkelson has gone through mini slumps and overcome them all year. A player who entered spring training on the fringes of the roster has reclaimed his spot as the team's first baseman, mashing 16 home runs and posting a 121 wRC+ along the way,
2B Gleyber Torres: Torres bet on himself when he signed a one-year deal with the Tigers this winter. It's looking like a wise gamble. Torres has been the best second baseman in the American League, and his .386 on-base percentage has given the Tigers a consistent presence they needed atop their order.
UTIL Javier Báez: One of the best comeback stories in all of baseball (alongside Mize and Torkelson), Báez has improved his wRC+ from 43 last season to 125 this year. He even overcame a slump and is hitting .400 over the past 14 days.
OF Jahmai Jones: Called up in place of the struggling Andy Ibáñez, Jones might make it tough for Ibáñez to return to Detroit any time soon. All he's done is hit .409 with two homers in his first 13 games with the Tigers.
UTIL Zach McKinstry: He's second to Greene in WAR among Tigers position players, hitting .272 and holding his own against lefties like never before.
RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long: Gipson-Long is still shaking off some rust in his return from Tommy John surgery. He's posted a 4.58 ERA but also shown flashes of top-notch stuff. The Tigers need him to trend up in the second half as they look to stabilize their pitching situation.
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RHP Brenan Hanifee: The overall numbers are better than it's felt. Hanifee has a 3.69 ERA despite some ups and downs. But he's allowed six earned runs in his past 7 1/3 innings and just hasn't been as consistent as the Tigers would like.
LHP Matt Gage: The 32-year-old entered spring training as a non-roster invite. He had an inspiring climb to a recent call-up, reaching the majors for the first time since 2023. He's thrown 4 1/3 scoreless innings, and might stick around longer than first thought.
RHP Carlos Hernández: Claimed from the Phillies to provide some reinforcement, Hernandez has made only two appearances as a Tiger. He looked great in his first outing, then gave up two runs in his second. That's kind of been the story of his career. Can the Tigers fix that?
LHP Brant Hurter: His first half as a whole has been terrific. There's an argument he should still classify as trending up. Hurter has a 2.75 ERA and has been an important, versatile relief option. His past three outings, though, have been more adventurous, prompting concerns in a bullpen that can't afford any more regression. That's the life of a relief pitcher.
RHP Jack Flaherty: Flaherty has had a few outings where he has looked as good as ever. But overall, his 4.83 ERA affirms the doubters who passed on Flaherty in free agency this winter. The numbers are tainted by a dismal last two outings, where he allowed seven and eight runs, respectively.
LHP Tyler Holton: So good he got an MVP vote last season, the Tigers' super reliever just hasn't been the same in 2025. He's giving up more hard contact, generating less chase and also watched his BABIP jump from .201 last season to .297 this season. Can he get his command and stuff dialed back in?
C Jake Rogers: A stint on the injured list early in the season ended up costing Rogers his role as the primary catcher. While Dingler soared to new heights, Rogers is still a solid No. 2 and a great defender. But he's hitting only .188 and has yet to hit a home run in 48 at-bats.
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SS Trey Sweeney: With the exception of a short hot streak, Sweeney hasn't given the Tigers a ton of value this season. He has only a 68 wRC+, has been worth -0.1 fWAR and has been worse than expected at shortstop, checking in at minus-5 defensive runs saved. The Tigers still like Sweeney a lot, but his roster spot is no guarantee in the second half.
OF Kerry Carpenter: Had we done this in March/April, when Carpenter homered seven times, he would be trending up. Instead, Carpenter is playing through a hamstring injury and trying to find his way out of a prolonged slump. Going back to May 17, Carpenter is hitting .200 and has walked only twice in 107 plate appearances.
OF Parker Meadows: A nerve injury cost Meadows the first two months of the season. Since coming back, he's still trying to get in a rhythm. Meadows is hitting .172 in his first 17 games, but perhaps his big swing Sunday can get him on the right track.
(Top photo of Riley Greene:)