Has Parker Meadows Earned the Right to Stay in Center for the Tigers?
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The Detroit Tigers actually saw quite a bit of turnover in their roster from 2024 to 2025 as they brought in players they thought could help them win a World Series. That didn't work out, and they had one of the biggest regular season collapses ever, but the lineup was much improved.
Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson had career years, but one player who the Tigers really liked, Parker Meadows, was supposed to be a part of that core. At the end of 2024, the centerfielder got hurt and landed on the 60-day IL, an injury that would cost him much of 2025.
Even though Meadows didn't get the reps and grow like Detroit wanted, their biggest disappointing player over the past few seasons, Javier Baez, came to the rescue and had an All-Star campaign while transitioning to center in the absence of Meadows.
Detroit Tigers 2025 Center Field in Review
Starters:
- Parker Meadows (.215/.291/.330, 58 G, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 4 SB, 21 BB, 56 K, .621 OPS, 73 OPS+, 0.2 bWAR)
- Javier Baez (.257/.282/.398, 126 G, 17 2B, 3 3B, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 5 SB, 10 BB, 109 K, .680 OPS, 87 OPS+, 1.9 bWAR)
Other significant contributors:
- Wenceel Perez (.244/.308/.430. 100 G, 17 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR, 43 RBI, 8 SB, 31 K, 87 BB, .738 OPS, 103 OPS+, 0.7 bWAR)
- Matt Vierling (.239/.310/.307, 31 G, 3 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 2 SB, .617 OPS, 73 OPS+, -0.3 bWAR).
Defense (Baseball Savant):
- Meadows (4 Outs Above Average, -1 Arm Value, 468 Innings, .992 Fielding Percentage, 1 Error, 1 Assist)
- Baez (6 OAA, 405 Inn, 1.000 Fld%, 0 E, 2 A)
- Perez (2 OAA, 1 AV, 183 Inn, 1.000 Fld%, 0 E, 0 A)
- Vierling (0 OAA, 0 AV, 145 Inn, 1.000 Fld%, 0 E, 1 A).
Season Notes
Meadows was on and off the injured list all season, but when he was on the field, he was still using his speed. In just 58 games, Meadows hit six doubles and two triples while also stealing four bases. He was great on defense once again, nearly matching Baez's OAA.
Baez played 53 games in center, splitting time at shortstop, the position he played all of 2024. It was his best season since arriving in Detroit, accumulating 1.9 bWAR, posting an 87 OPS+ and making his first All-Star team since 2019. He was an above average defender at multiple positions.
Perez is the team's primary right fielder, who played center when needed. He took a step forward from his rookie season, hitting a career high 13 homers and posting a 103 OPS+.
Another utility player, Vierling, missed time with shoulder and oblique injuries. Vierling played 57 games in center during 2024 and had a career year, but didn't get the chance to do much in 2025.
An Early Look at Outfield in 2026
Detroit had its plan in place for Parker Meadows to become the centerfielder, but that went out the window with his injuries and only playing 58 games. However, there's still a good possibility that Meadows does take over in 2026, assuming he's healthy.
Meadows' 2024 season is what gave the Tigers the confidence in the young outfielder. In 82 games, he hit .244 with a .743 OPS, 6 triples, nine homers, a 107 OPS+ and 2.2 bWAR, which was tied for third among all position players on the team.
He was in the 92nd percentile of outs above average that season, according to Baseball Savant, and was developing into a star defensive center fielder while the bat came around. The most likely outcome is that he is put back on track to becoming the franchise center fielder.
However, Matt Vierling presents an interesting question. He accumulated 3.0 bWAR while bouncing around the diamond in 2024, but most of his games were in center. He presents a pretty even split in a platoon situation, something Meadows has not historically done.
Having played center in 2024, it's possible Vierling takes some playing time from Meadows. However, even with the platoon numbers, it seems unlikely that Vierling would take over in center permanantly simply because Detroit likes his versatility.
Meadows might not wow fans at the plate, but he's a great defender and top prospect Max Clark is still a couple of years away. For now, the younger brother of former Tiger Austin Meadows will do his best to lock down one of the most important positions in the game.
