2026 Exhibition Spring Games

[Tiger337]

20 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

Not with Keith signed for long term. Its his position in '26. Maybe next year when Torres may be gone. Or if Keith gets hurt...

Keith and Torres were on the roster last year too and they didn't use Keith at third until later in the year and even then he alternated between 3b and DH.  He'll probably get the majority of at bats at 3B to start the season, but I wouldn't say he was rock solid at the position.  

Edited yesterday at 04:44 PM by Tiger337

[Tiger337]

11 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

Nobody ever makes a team with a strong spring...OK. 👍

They can make the team by showing real improvement in skills over past years.  If they have good numbers, but they don't show pysical readiness, they won't make the team.  Often times both will happen at the same time.     

[Tiger337]

x

Edited yesterday at 04:43 PM by Tiger337

[Longgone]

34 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

Nobody ever makes a team with a strong spring...OK. 👍

If Clark goes 6 for 20 and catches every ball, he's still the same player, with the same abilities, at the same level of development, and he'd be in the exact same situation. The coaches understand this and are not basing their judgements on superficial stats.

Same with McGonigle, if he was hitting a buck fifty, but showing the same abilities and development, he'd be in the same position.

Edited yesterday at 05:03 PM by Longgone

[Sports_Freak]

38 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

They can make the team by showing real improvement in skills over past years.  If they have good numbers, but they don't show pysical readiness, they won't make the team.  Often times both will happen at the same time.     

And sometimes if it's an open competition at a position of need.

[Sports_Freak]

43 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Keith and Torres were on the roster last year too and they didn't use Keith at third until later in the year and even then he alternated between 3b and DH.  He'll probably get the majority of at bats at 3B to start the season, but I wouldn't say he was rock solid at the position.  

Was it his arm still recovering from injuries? I seem to remember fans saying he had a weak arm last season. 

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, Sports_Freak said:

Was it his arm still recovering from injuries? I seem to remember fans saying he had a weak arm last season. 

IIRC -He hurt his shoulder going into a base while still in the minors so they swapped him and Jung 2nd and third because the shoulder. At the time they said it could take a year or two for it to regain full strength, if it did. So he was tooling along as a 2B then they signed Torres but also figured Tork was toast so he was a 1b, and then when when Tork wasn't, it was  - well share the ABs as best we can, and then finally: "Well how is the arm doing now? Try 3rd again" Last year once they put him back there he seemed to be throwing OK and there were no issues, so he is back where he started. He doesn't have anything like a cannon, but he gets rid of the ball quick and he's accurate.

I'm guessing some people got a little misled looking at statcast data because you just don't try to throw max effort at 2b so his throwing velo looked pretty low, but at third he was  hitting upper 80s, and with regular throwing there who knows he might loosen up and be able to add to that.

Edited yesterday at 06:50 PM by gehringer_2

[IdahoBert]

This March 11 game of the Tigers at the Twins either the Twins are really crappy hitters or all the Tigers pitchers on this “bullpen day” are really good. No runs scored against Detroit pitching but not many Ks either. The Tigers hitters have already struck out 13 times in eight innings.

[IdahoBert]

18 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

This March 11 game of the Tigers at the Twins either the Twins are really crappy hitters or all the Tigers pitchers on this “bullpen day” are really good. No runs scored against Detroit pitching but not many Ks either. The Tigers hitters have already struck out 13 times in eight innings.

Two Tiger’s pitchers allow runs, so it’s a loss but at least it wasn’t a tie. 

[Sports_Freak]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

IIRC -He hurt his shoulder going into a base while still in the minors so they swapped him and Jung 2nd and third because the shoulder. At the time they said it could take a year or two for it to regain full strength, if it did. So he was tooling along as a 2B then they signed Torres but also figured Tork was toast so he was a 1b, and then when when Tork wasn't, it was  - well share the ABs as best we can, and then finally: "Well how is the arm doing now? Try 3rd again" Last year once they put him back there he seemed to be throwing OK and there were no issues, so he is back where he started. He doesn't have anything like a cannon, but he gets rid of the ball quick and he's accurate.

I'm guessing some people got a little misled looking at statcast data because you just don't try to throw max effort at 2b so his throwing velo looked pretty low, but at third he was  hitting upper 80s, and with regular throwing there who knows he might loosen up and be able to add to that.

Yeah, I guess his defense, at third last year, appeared decent. I don’t know the advanced stats though. But his hitting wasn't all that great, I guess passable but we may see Javy starting against LH pitchers, IDK what Hinch has planned. I doubt the Tigers will carry Jung on the roster as just a backup for Tork. Maybe Keith will be Tork's backup? Who else for 1st base?

[Sports_Freak]

56 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

Two Tiger’s pitchers allow runs, so it’s a loss but at least it wasn’t a tie. 

All of these ties in the regular season would allow the Tigers to set a Major League record!!

 

[IdahoBert]

UPCOMING GAMES –

Thursday, March 12 Verlander against the Yankees in Lakeland - WXYT 1270

Friday, March 13 Casey Mize against the Pirates in Lakeland - WXYT 1270

Saturday, March 14 Skubal against Toronto and Max Scherzer in Dunedin - Detroit SportsNet TV - MLBN (out of market only) - WXYT 97.1 FM

[gehringer_2]

6 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

Yeah, I guess his defense, at third last year, appeared decent. I don’t know the advanced stats though. ..

I don't know that it ever gets talked about much but the strongest arm on the Tiger IF is McKinstry's. He'll touch mid 90's.

[NorthWoods]

Nice story in the Freep:   https://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/jeff-seidel/2026/03/12/kevin-mcgonigle-not-the-only-detroit-tigers-prospect-wowing-in-spring/

 

Quote

This is the story of three talented Detroit Tigers prospects, who are all roommates at one rental property in Lakeland. Kevin McGonigle, John Peck and Max Anderson have had a heck of a spring training for the Tigers – I can't imagine it going much better – while sharing a house and going through their first big-league spring training together.

 

[IdahoBert]

So, JV gave up 2HR in the first inning to the Yankees, but he struck out 2 and kept his pitch count to only 16. Early season jitters…

[IdahoBert]

16 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

So, JV gave up 2HR in the first inning to the Yankees, but he struck out 2 and kept his pitch count to only 16. Early season jitters…

Now it’s 3 HRs. Needs to work on missing the bats more. Although he has K’d three… I honestly didn’t expect him to be up and going at full strength when some of these players have already put in 15–18 games already. But it is what it is…

[gehringer_2]

weird game. Tigers have had only two baserunners but both scored, so really efficient offense! (🙄). 

Have only 2 hits and no walks but have only K'd twice. Not a combinations you expect from a Tiger team.

[IdahoBert]

Hurter, Jansen, Finnegan, and Smith have all combined in relief for 4 2/3 hitless frames with no walks and six strikeouts. This is really good news. 

[IdahoBert]

I’m grateful this game did not end in a 4–4 tie. Some good relief pitching, and JV showed that he can get strikeouts, even though he’s being hit hard. It’s a process.