Improvements and Milestones Kerry Carpenter is Chasing This Year with Tigers
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One of the more popular players for the Detroit Tigers in recent years has been right fielder/designated hitter Kerry Carpenter. The former 19th-round pick has blossomed into one of the better homegrown talents for the Tigers, and he's closing in on an impressive career milestone in 2026.
Carpenter made his debut for Detroit back in 2022, slugging his way to six home runs in 31 games at the age of 24.
Going into his fifth season with the Tigers, Carpenter holds 70 career home runs to his name, meaning he's one massive season away from joining Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson as 30+ home run threats.
The right fielder has yet to hit 30 home runs in his MLB career, posting a career high of 26 just this past season. However, he does have 30 home run pop in his bat, having done so between Double and Triple-A in 2022 across 98 games.
But for Carpenter to achieve this, a few improvements need to be made to his game, other than just swinging for the fences.
Two Improvements for Carpenter in 2026
Carpenter needs to improve his ability to limit his chase rate if he wants to hit 30 home runs and achieve 100 career home runs by 2026. Last season, Carpenter recorded only 18 walks, the lowest total of his career, not counting the 31 games he played as a rookie.
On top of that, if he increases the number of times he walks, it will not only give him more hittable pitches throughout the game, but will decrease his strikeout numbers as well. Carpenter struck out 106 times last season, which isn't horrible, but improvements can be made.
Carpenter got to a full count in 39 at-bats last season across 44 games, according to Baseball Reference, in which he had an AVG of .179 with 14 strikeouts and ten walks. If he fell to a 0-2 count, the at-bat was likely over, as he had a .104 AVG with 23 strikeouts in 48 at-bats.
When Carpenter was ahead in counts, his success showed, hitting .375 with 12 home runs, walking 18 times and striking out 14. For 2026, battling at the plate is a must for Carpenter's success. There will be times when he falls behind, but bringing the counts back to even to get a better pitch to hit will aid him.
Going into his age 28 season, this feels like the year that Carpenter will break out as one of the more feared power threats at the plate, perhaps getting his first All-Star nod as well, should he stay healthy.
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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.