The 2024 Detroit Tigers were a fun, if improbable, story. Detroit had a losing record at the trade deadline and, reasonably, went into the market as a seller. Then the Tigers got shockingly hot (winning 31 of their final 44 games) and stole a playoff spot, even won a series. Everyone loves a Cinderella story. But it’s hard to know how well those slippers fit the next day.
Well, it’s 2025 now. And Detroit isn’t an underdog anymore. Maybe the Tigers are actually one of the big dogs, one of the overdogs, of the American League.
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As we settle into May, the Tigers are 22-13 — that’s the best record in the A.L. Their +63 run differential is the best in baseball. Last year’s Detroit lineup only had three regular players with an OPS+ better than 100, the league average. This year’s regular lineup has eight such players among the 12 hitters who see regular playing time.
Maybe Spencer Torkelson has figured some things out. Perhaps Riley Greene is making the leap into stardom. A healthy Kerry Carpenter is probably a lock for 30-35 homers. These guys can bite you.
And then there’s the Javy Báez story. I don’t know anyone who saw this coming.
Báez, you’ll remember, signed a six-year, $140 million deal with the Tigers before the 2022 season. And he seemed to lose his way the second he moved to Detroit. Báez was slightly below a league-average hitter for 2022, then had two nightmare seasons to follow (.222/.267/.325 and .184/.221/.294). If not for the big contract, the Tigers probably would have cut Báez.
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Báez opened the year as a part-time player, but he’s forced his way into the regular lineup of late. Sometimes he plays third, sometimes he plays shortstop, sometimes he plays center field. Báez hit three home runs on last week’s road trip and scored four runs in Sunday’s romp in Anaheim. He’s up to a snappy .309/.350/.829 for the season.
This isn’t a plate-discipline story — Baez’s BB/K numbers have been virtually identical every season in Detroit. His Baseball Savant page is a buzzkill; the metrics suggest a .243 average and a .383 slugging, not the lofty numbers he currently holds. Heck, .243 and .383 still represent a big jump from the last two washout seasons. The Tigers will never say it, but they would probably take that.
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We know that waiting for proof is not a viable fantasy strategy. We need to move quicker. Báez qualifies at those three positions (short, third, outfield) and he’s tied to a Detroit lineup that’s scoring runs by the bushel. Detroit returns to action Tuesday at Colorado, a three-game set at America’s playground. If you’re ever going to kick the tires on Báez, now is the time. He’s been proactively added in Yahoo pools over the last few days but is still unrostered in about 61% of our world.
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The leash doesn’t have to be long here. Báez could easily be the player you cut in a week or two. But let’s see how he hacks in the thin air; let’s kick some tires.
So we’ll start this hitter pickups file with Báez. Here are some other bats to keep in mind:
OF Kyle Stowers, Marlins (48%)
This is more of a graduation diploma than anything else — if your league was alert, Stowers was added after a four-homer week. The Marlins give him good lineup real estate, and it’s justified with that .321/.387/.541 slash. Obviously, he can’t keep that .408 BABIP, but Stowers is making plenty of his own luck with a 27.3% line-drive rate.
UT Daniel Schneemann, Guardians (5%)
Cleveland didn’t view Schneemann as a regular when the season started, but life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. He’s started 9-of-11 games and is off to a tidy .274/.348/.548 start, with four homers. He’s starting to gradually rise in the lineup, too.
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I’m a sucker for a position-flexible option, and Schneemann fits that suit — you can use him at second, third, short and outfield.
UT Jonathan India, Royals (43%)
Usually, when a player has a BB/K ratio close to 1, it’s a signal for a strong offensive profile. India is trying to break that rule — he’s merely slashing .220/.331/.297 despite his dreamy plate discipline. But over the last two weeks, he’s actually hit a respectable .265 and he conked his first home run of the year Sunday. The Royals continue to use India as the leadoff man, so I’m willing to keep an open mind. He’s another position hero, too, qualifying at second, third and the outfield
2B/SS Luisangel Acuña, Mets (11%)
The Mets look like the NL East bullies but most of their primary players are already rostered. Perhaps you can make room for Acuña. He doesn’t offer any power, but a .298 average and eight steals force his way into the mixed-league conversation. The Mets are comfortable using him at three different infield slots.
1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn, Orioles (17%)
Baltimore is already seven games under .500, but don’t fault O’Hearn, who has seven homers and the best OPS+ (183) on the team. Baltimore has steered into O’Hearn as a staple in recent games, routinely slotting him fourth or fifth in the lineup against right-handed pitching. Baltimore only faces one lefty over the next nine games, giving the green light to dial up their lefty slugger.
