Tigers Catcher Only Focused on Winning As He Moves Into New Role
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Coming into the 2025 MLB regular season, the Detroit Tigers were set to give Jake Rogers a lion's share of the playing time behind the plate.
He has been a reliable player for the team in recent years, with his defensive performance being what buoyed his value.
Rogers didn’t offer much of an impact at the plate, but provided some pop.
In 2023, he hit a career-high 21 home runs in 365 plate appearances. Last season, he hit 10 more in 337 plate appearances, becoming the personal catcher for American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.
A 4.1% home run rate in his career and excellent defensive metrics were enough for him to warrant being the starter more often than not for the Tigers.
Unfortunately, those plans had to change early in the campaign when he picked up an injury.
Rogers suffered a left oblique strain, being placed on the injured list on April 8. He didn’t return to the lineup until May 20, and by that time, some major changes had occurred with the lineup.
His backup coming into the year, Dillon Dingler, caught fire, and the team began playing at an incredibly high level.
Through 41 games and 157 plate appearances, Dingler has produced a .289/.312/.434 slash line with four home runs, eight doubles, one triple and 19 RBI.
In addition to his offensive output, the 2020 second-round pick has quickly turned into one of the most impactful defensive catchers in the game.
Dingler has a Fielding Run Value of +6 per Baseball Savant, which is in the 96th percentile and warrants being in the lineup as a starter.
Some players wouldn’t take a role change and demotion in stride, but Rogers is on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Jake Rogers Accepting of Tigers Backup Catcher’s Role
"We got another great catcher," Rogers said this week, via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. "It's tough. I'm used to playing a lot, but that's just not my role anymore. I know my role. I'm going to be here for him with whatever he needs, and whenever they want me to play, I'm going to be ready.
"As long as we're winning, I love it," he added.
That kind of team-first attitude is what will help Detroit stay where they are; atop the American League as a legitimate World Series contender.
Rogers will have his number called at points during the year, and he will be ready to give the team everything he has when it does occur.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.