Overlooked Outfielder Is a Candidate to Break Out for the Tigers in 2027
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Brett Callahan hit a two-run triple on the first pitch he saw for the Detroit Tigers. Two days later, he turned a 97.8 mph fastball from Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft into his first Major League home run.
Statcast clocked the drive at 110.3 mph. A 13th-round pick who had opened the year at Double-A had two extra-base hits in his first three games with Detroit.
Callahan finished at .211/.288/.324 with 27 strikeouts in 80 plate appearances. That first look gave the Tigers a reason to keep working with him and a clear target for 2027.
If he can cut down on the swings that put him in pitchers’ counts, he has enough power and speed to turn an injury call-up into a regular role.
Callahan’s Power Came With a More Selective Approach
According to MLB Pipeline, Callahan squared up his batting stance before his breakout in the minors and became more selective early in 2026. He hit .268/.374/.504 with 12 home runs in 60 games at Double-A Erie.
After his June promotion to Triple-A Toledo, he hit .271/.351/.338 with one homer in 36 games, according to MiLB.com. The hits kept coming at roughly the same rate. The damage fell off.
His minor league splits show where Detroit could start. Callahan hit .279/.403/.476 against right-handers and .250/.290/.383 against left-handers, according to Baseball Savant.
He drew 39 walks in 278 plate appearances against righties and seven in 138 against lefties. That difference matters because his best stretch came when he reached base often enough to put his speed to work. He stole 29 bases across Erie and Toledo.
The at-bat against Ashcraft offered a glimpse of how that approach could translate. Callahan took a curveball for a strike, then got the fastball he was looking for over the plate. In 2027, the test will be whether he can stay selective against pitchers who give him fewer fastballs to hit.
Detroit Can Give Callahan a Role Against Right-Handers
Callahan played both outfield corners in the Majors, which gives manager A.J. Hinch a way to get him starts against right-handed pitching.
There will be competition for those at-bats. Riley Greene and Max Clark are already part of the outfield picture, and the Tigers reinstated Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows, Wenceel Perez, and Matt Vierling from the 60-day injured list during their Nov. 2 roster moves.
If that competition sends Callahan back to Toledo to start the year, everyday at-bats would give him a chance to show he can sustain the approach that got him promoted.
In Detroit, his speed could give him an immediate bench role as the club puts more emphasis on baserunning under new first-base coach Kyle Hudson.
The bigger opportunity is in right field. If Callahan starts reaching base and driving the ball consistently against righties, Hinch could give him a run of starts there. That would give the Tigers a chance to find out how much of the hitter they saw at Erie can carry over to Detroit.
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Alvin Garcia is a Puerto Rico-born sportswriter and U.S. Army veteran. He has covered Major League Baseball since 2022, producing breaking news, game coverage, analysis, roster stories and player features for national and team-focused publications. His previous work has appeared at Heavy, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Yardbarker, and FanSided. Garcia brings a data-informed, fan-focused approach to his coverage.