Dillon Dingler's Timely Hitting Is Fueling the Tigers' Success
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The Detroit Tigers have been on fire, and their series-opening victory over the Kansas City Royals Thursday night only proves it. While many at Comerica Park thought the game was going to end without a fight, more late-inning heroics from Dillon Dingler got the job done again.
After James Outman gave Detroit the lead for the moment by hitting a three-run home run, Dingler came to the plate with the game tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, delivering an RBI double to give the Tigers a 4-3 lead.
The All-Star has been everything that the Tigers' offense has needed since battling out of the bottom of the barrel following a horrid May. Whether he's getting the ball out of the ballpark or coming through in the clutch, Detroit has that big right-handed bat it's needed for years right in front of them.
Dingler's Thoughts
Coming through in the clutch isn't a gift every baseball player has, but for Dingler, it's engraved in his DNA. Following the game, Dingler spoke with reporters about how well he's developed at the plate and has the chance to come up big in the most clutch situations.
"I feel like it just comes down to me getting pitches to hit," Dingler said via 97.1 The Ticket on Instagram. "This year I'm seeing the spin a little bit better. You know, I'm able to spit on the sliders away and work back into the count. I've been working on that over the last couple of weeks."
Dingler has been consistent all season long, and yet he still wants to find ways to improve at the plate. Going into the second game against the Royals on Friday, Dingler has hit over .400 at the plate the last seven days and is hitting .274 on the season, with a career-high 22 home runs.
And while the city of Detroit continues to recognize the excellence that is Dillon Dingler, he still finds ways to critique his game.
For example, in the top of the first inning, following a bases-loaded strikeout to end the inning, the ball trickled away from Dingler, forcing him to rush a pass to Troy Melton at the plate to get the force out. While it was cool that he managed to get the out at the plate, he could've thrown it down to first base for a more stress-free play.
"I felt like an idiot on that play, to be honest," Dingler said in his postgame. "Next time I'll be a little bit more aware."
WATCH BELOW
Troy Melton: ATHLETE pic.twitter.com/Cr84DQM6uk
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 23, 2026
Even the All-Stars have moments like that, but what makes it better is that Dingler makes up for anything in the field when he steps up to the plate.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.