Three Players Detroit Tigers Should Be Giving Thanks for This Holiday Season
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It is always easy to dwell on the negative of a baseball team's season if it doesn't end in a World Series victory, but especially when a team is sent home in the ALDS in back-to-back years like the Detroit Tigers. However, there are plenty of aspects to this team to get excited about, especially as the ballclub looks to redeem itself in 2026.
This is the season for giving thanks, and Tigers' fans as well as the organization have plenty to be thankful for with the roster they have and the year the ballclub had, despite it ending in an eventual heartbreaker.
Three Athletes To Be More Than Pleased With
The obvious first player to come to mind is their pitching ace Tarik Skubal, but clearly, he isn't the only one who had a good season. Catcher Dillon Dinger, as well as utility man Zach McKinstry did their part and deserve some recognition.
Skubal- At this point in time, it seems like Skubal doesn't need much of an explanation as to why the organization has to be happy to have him, especially since he just won his second consecutive Cy Young Award to go with back-to-back All-MLB First Team selections.
- 13-6 Record
- 2.21 ERA
- 241 Strikeouts
- .200 Opponent's Batting Average
- 0.89 WHIP
Dingler- This was the young catcher's first chance to take the majority of the reps behind the plate, and he sure was special, especially defensively. Time and time again, he came through for the team, which led to his first-ever Gold Glove Award, but that wasn't all he did for the team.
By the end of the year, Dingler really found his swing, hitting nearly .300 in his last 30 games to go with a .425 slugging percentage.
McKinstry- The 30-year-old is proving that it doesn't matter when a player is drafted, but what they do with the opportunity once they have it. McKinstry was drafted in 2016 as the 1,001 overall pick, and now in 2025, he is a Silver Slugger Award winner as a utility player.
McKinstry might be listed as a third baseman, but he is more than capable of playing what it seems like anywhere. This season, he suited up everywhere in the infield (primarily third and shortstop), and also was used in the outfield at both left and right field, making him almost invaluable.
Ultimately, it comes down to management to address what needs to be fixed by opening day next season, and one thing is for certain: their Achilles heel this year had nothing to do with Skubal, the rise of Dingler, or their utility man.
The fact that Dillon Dingler is able to stand let alone make this throw after 14 innings of crouching is a minor miracle pic.twitter.com/BQjej8Mbvh
— AT (@YankeeWRLD) October 11, 2025
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.