McKinstry's arm a useful asset in right field -- and on the mound

This story was excerpted from Jason Beck's Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

One of the sneaky challenges when a position player gets on the mound to pitch in a blowout is lobbing a ball into the strike zone. It’s not natural to many of them, and it’s not something they get to practice, even playing catch. But it’s something managers often ask them to do to try to prevent an arm injury in a hopeless situation.

Zach McKinstry has been there. He threw less than half his pitches for strikes in both of his mound appearances this season, walking five batters over two innings. But every so often, amidst the flurry of rainbow breaking balls, he likes to mix in a fastball, sometimes to get back in the zone, but also to keep a hitter just a tad off balance.

And for a position player, McKinstry has a fastball. He hit 83.7 mph on the radar gun in his July 21 appearance at Wrigley Field, and 83.5 mph in his appearance last month at Minnesota.

So maybe it figures that McKinstry has shown off his arm since becoming primarily a right fielder following Kerry Carpenter’s foot injury in late July. But there’s a lot more to it than a fastball. And the total defensive package McKinstry has put together could put him in line to win a Gold Glove to put alongside his Silver Slugger Award from last year.

When McKinstry threw out Colorado’s Jordan Beck at the plate Friday on a 92.5 mph throw, it marked his eighth assist from right field this season. All of them have come in 23 games since Aug. 9, when he threw out Willy Adames at the plate from a near-standstill in right field in San Francisco.

McKinstry threw out runners on back-to-back days Aug. 23 in Kansas City (Isaac Collins tried to stretch a single into a double when McKinstry slipped fielding the ball in the gap) and Aug. 24 against the Rays (Junior Caminero on a relay throw to the plate). He unleashed a 90.8 mph throw from the right-field corner for an out at second on Aug. 31, the same night he pitched, and got another assist on a fielder’s choice throw to second that Kevin McGonigle dropped for an error.

“He’s really been a savior for us in the outfield,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s not just filling in. He’s really good. He’s a difference-maker in right field.”

McKinstry entered Saturday tied for third in the Majors in assists from right field. The two players ahead of him, Boston’s Wilyer Abreu and Mets rookie Carson Benge, are everyday right fielders. Abreu won the American League Gold Glove there last year. According to Tigers media relations, McKinstry is the third American League player in the last 10 years to record eight assists in right field in a season with fewer than 65 games there. Toronto’s Addison Barger had nine last year, as did Texas’ Adolis Garcia in 2021.

McKinstry won’t be overtaking Abreu for AL Gold Glove consideration in right field, but he has a case for the honor among utility players, a position added to Gold Glove consideration in 2022. Mauricio Dubón won the AL award in two of the past three years while with Houston, but he’s in Atlanta now and has to compete for National League honors.

McKinstry’s plus-10 Fielding Run Value across all positions, according to Statcast, ranked 21st among all MLB players entering Saturday. His toughest competition could be Texas’ Ezequiel Duran, who ranked seventh at plus-14. However, McKinstry’s 13 Defensive Runs Saved beats Duran (6), and he entered Saturday tied for 15th among MLB players at all positions, according to Sports Info Solutions. He rates at 10 Defensive Runs Saved in right field alone, fifth-most in the Majors.

“It’s hard now to use him how I want to,” Hinch said. “I want to move him around, and I still want him to be a little bit impactful in the infield. But the plus defensive plays, the deterrent that he is generally, guys don’t go on him very often, even first to third. The throw to home, he’s done it a few times, so he’s demonstrated he can handle the position defensively as [well] as anybody.

“If you believe in the numbers, he has those on his side. If you believe the eye test, we all watch him. There’s really not a play he can’t make.”