Detroit Tigers Last Minute Signing Has Been Shockingly Productive Thus Far

The Detroit Tigers got some terrific at-bats from an unlikely source over the weekend.

Mar 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Detroit Tigers outfielder Manuel Margot (7) singles in the ninth against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers dropped all three games of their opening series against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving a lot to be desired as they left California without anything to show in the win column.

Though the pitching staff was solid for the most part considered the lineup they were tasked with going up against, it was largely the lack of offense and timely hitting with runners in scoring position which hurt the Tigers' chances of stealing a win against the Dodgers.

While it stings to start the season 0-3, there was plenty to be encouraged about, including some offense coming from unlikely sources.

Perhaps the story of the weekend was former top prospect turned roster bubble disappointment Spencer Torkelson, who looked like a whole new player.

However, it was a new face who really turned heads throughout the course of the series.

After signing a Major League contract with Detroit just days before the season in the wake of numerous outfielder injuries, the 30-year-old Manuel Margot had a huge weekend.

Over the course of the three games, Margot slashed .556/.500/.556 with five hits and three RBI in just 10 plate appearances, demonstrating he could become one of the Tigers' most important offensive players despite being released by the Milwaukee Brewers just two weeks ago.

Ultimately, it's just one series, but for a Detroit team which is desperate to find players who can produce runs, someone like Margot emerging is going to be critical in order for this offense to support what looks like one of the better pitching staffs in baseball.

Margot played 129 games last season for the Minnesota Twins and was largely unimpressive, slashing .238/.289/.337 with four home runs and 31 RBI. In fact, he has never been a feared hitter even in the best offensive seasons of his career with an OPS of .700 or better just twice.

In all likelihood, the explosion at the plate from Margot could prove to simply be nothing more than an aberration.

With that being said, the Tigers are in real need of a boost at the plate until they can get some of their injured stars back.

If Margot can hit at a decent rate for at least a month or so and continue to get on base, it will go a long way for Detroit to weather the storm and grab some victories over the next couple of weeks.