The Tigers open Spring Training this week with more players established than manager A.J. Hinch has had in his tenure, but that doesn’t change the tone of camp.
“Good teams have a ton of competition,” president of baseball operations Scott Harris said at the start of the offseason, “and we're going to have a ton of competition for opportunity in Spring Training.”
Some of that competition will come from the latest wave of prospects. Some will come from players working back from injury. Add in the Tigers’ desire to make the most of this season following consecutive season-ending losses in Game 5 of the American League Division Series, and there’s plenty to watch in Lakeland in the coming weeks.
Here’s one reporter’s first chance at projecting the Tigers’ Opening Day roster:
Catcher (2): Dillon Dingler, Jake Rogers
Dingler went to Spring Training last year as the young backup looking for starts behind Rogers, the trusted backstop for many of Detroit’s veteran starters. That mix flipped completely during Rogers’ left oblique injury early last season. Rogers caught newcomer Framber Valdez several times in the lower levels of the Astros' farm system in 2016 and '17, so it’ll be interesting to see how much they work together.
First baseman (1): Spencer Torkelson
Remember when Torkelson got some work in the outfield last Spring Training as a way to get him more utility off the bench with Colt Keith at first base? That won’t be happening this spring. Torkelson started 144 games at first base last season, and he is poised for a similar workload as long as he produces. Josue Briceño (the No. 40 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline) will be interesting to watch at first in camp, but still has a ways to go before reaching the Majors.
Second baseman (1): Gleyber Torres
Any succession plan at second base changed once Torres accepted the one-year qualifying offer the Tigers extended to him in free agency. Considering Torres had one of baseball’s lowest chase rates and a 95th-percentile walk rate last season, his return is welcome. He’ll be the everyday second baseman again, looking to show what he can do when healthy after a sports hernia hobbled him down the stretch last year.
Shortstop (2): Javier Báez, Zach McKinstry
Baseball's No. 2 prospect, Kevin McGonigle, could make for an interesting discussion here if he has a strong spring. But unless the 21-year-old shows he’s ready for the full-time job after ending last season with Double-A Erie, here’s guessing the Tigers open the season with Báez and McKinstry splitting time. Báez could also get some time in center field after impressing there as an injury fill-in last season.
Third baseman (1): Colt Keith
The Tigers asked Keith to work out at first, second and third base at the start of the offseason to stay ready for various possibilities. Once Torres returned, Keith’s logical spot became the hot corner, a position he handled well last season, considering he shifted there at midseason. How he handles the spot with a full offseason to train for it will be intriguing.
Outfielders (4): Riley Greene, Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling, Wenceel Pérez
The Tigers have five outfielders for three spots; four, if you include designated hitter. A healthy Vierling and Pérez allow for a rotation at all three positions, giving Greene and Meadows some days off their feet in left and center while setting up matchups in right.
DH (1): Kerry Carpenter
Carpenter figures to get a decent share of outfield time as well, but the bigger question will be whether he earns more at-bats against left-handed pitching after providing some clutch hits off southpaws last season, including his homer off Gabe Speier in Game 5 of the ALDS.
Bench/utility (1): Jahmai Jones
Jones has taken over the lefty-killer role that Andy Ibáñez admirably filled for the past few seasons. But unlike Ibáñez, Jones is more limited defensively, which reduces the situations in which Hinch can use him. If he struggles, this could be an opening for infield prospects Hao-Yu Lee or Max Anderson, both of whom hit lefties well at Triple-A Toledo last season.
Starting pitchers (5): Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Troy Melton
The Valdez addition solidifies an impressive quartet and creates a healthy competition for the fifth spot. This would logically be Reese Olson’s spot if he’s healthy and effective, but he hasn’t pitched in a game since last July, and he’s trying to come back from a right shoulder strain. There’s plenty of reason to be cautious, among them the fact that Melton and Drew Anderson deserve a chance to start.
Relief pitchers (8): Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, Will Vest, Tyler Holton, Drew Anderson, Brant Hurter, Brenan Hanifee, Bailey Horn
Is this the year Hinch names a closer? He has three relievers with closing experience from which to choose, but Jansen’s Hall of Fame resume and impressive 2025 campaign make the 38-year-old the logical choice as the primary option. At the other end, the Tigers have several swingmen who could be either long relievers in Detroit or depth starters at Triple-A Toledo. Anderson’s Major League contract effectively assures him of a role somewhere on Detroit’s staff, whether or not he wins a rotation spot.