One Tigers Player to Watch Closely in Game 2 vs. White Sox
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The Detroit Tigers got the job done against their biggest division rival, the Cleveland Guardians, taking two of three to kick off the homestand. Now, with the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox in town and already down one, the Tigers need all hands on deck for back-to-back series wins.
Detroit's offense didn't perform poorly in the series opener, scoring five runs. A mixture of inconsistency from Jackson Jobe and the Tigers' bullpen bloated the White Sox' run total, resulting in their triumph. But there's still someone offensively who needs to pick it up.
All-Star catcher Dillon Dinger has been phenomenal all season for Detroit, setting new career highs in home runs and RBIs. However, his last few games wouldn't show that to a casual fan, as Dingler enters game two with a 0.38 batting average in the last seven days.
Over his last 15 days, Dingler has sent four balls over the wall and holds a .217 average at the plate. He's also struck out 18 times. While Dingler put the offense on his back in the early months, should the Tiger fanbase be worried given how lost the 2025 Gold Glove Award winner looks at the plate?
Why to Watch Dingler
Similar to the adjustments that Spencer Torkelson has made at the plate in recent weeks, Dingler doesn't have to be a home run-or-nothing kind of hitter, though he's become known for the long ball this season. Making his approach simpler should be his approach.
Sometimes, batters can become too selective at the plate, and that might be holding Dingler back at the moment. This season, in a 0-0 count, Dingler holds a .300 AVG with 15 hits; when he's aggressive early, the results pay off.
Let's look at the latter. Entering game two of the series at Comerica Park, Dingler is hitting .205 in 2-2 counts and .175 in full counts. When he's ahead in the count, such as 2-1 (hitting .360) or 1-0 (hitting .333), he's a more dangerous hitter.
The goal for Dingler as the designated hitter in game two should be to attack the ball while keeping his mechanics in order. This is one of Dingler's first slumps of the season, so fans shouldn't be too quick to criticize, especially since he's been the team's MVP all year.
It only takes one solid hit for Dingler to break out of this slump. It doesn't have to be a home run, and he doesn't always need to play the hero. However, finding a way to make contact against a team he has struggled against in the past could be all it takes for Dingler to get back on track.
This series is too big for Detroit to sit Dingler in game two, but depending on how things unfold on Saturday afternoon, manager A.J. Hinch might have no other option but to give his catcher a day off in the next few days.
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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.