These Two Unsung Detroit Tigers Deserve More National Attention
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The Detroit Tigers got exactly what they wanted to begin the second half of 2026, despite having to wait until their final out to do so. Late Friday night, the Tigers bested the Los Angeles Angels on the road, snapping their two-game skid and getting back into the win column at the right time.
Up until the ninth inning, Detroit's offense was quiet, having not had two runners on base for the entire game until that inning alone. Facing off against Kirby Yates, the Tigers made the most of his mistakes, such as hitting Dillon Dingler and allowing a walk to Riley Greene.
Down to their last out, one of the most unsung players for the Tigers franchise since the beginning of June, Hao-Yu Lee, delivered what some are calling the biggest hit of the season, driving in both James Outman, who replaced Dingler on the bases, and Greene with a double in the ninth to give Detroit the lead.
WATCH BELOW
HAO-YU LEE COMES THROUGH IN THE 9TH pic.twitter.com/zlxVxwQCx6
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 18, 2026
Lee has been one of the more underrated players on the roster since he returned to the majors to fill in for Gleyber Torres when he went down with his injury. Since June 1, Lee is hitting .320 at the plate, with three home runs, nine RBIs, and collecting 24 hits in 75 at-bats.
Sure, Lee doesn't move the needle in the power department, and he rarely draws walks, holding an OPS of .680, but he's come through for Detroit when they need him most. On top of that, his defense has improved compared to how he began the season.
Lee was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies for Michael Lorenzen back in 2023, and seeing that Lorenzen has only been an All-Star once in his career, Lee is making a case for Detroit to be viewed as winners of that trade, especially if this kind of production continues.
Troy Melton is Masterful
The second unsung hero for the Tigers, though he's started to gain attention, is starting pitcher Troy Melton. Melton dazzled on the mound again for Detroit against the Angels, despite walking four batters, allowing just one run and punching out nine across 5.2 innings of work.
Melton has been what this starting rotation needed as soon as he returned from the injured list, posting a 1.80 ERA in 55 innings. If he were eligible for ERA rankings, he'd place second in Major League Baseball behind Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski.
Troy Melton, 97mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/OKDTROmXGt
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 18, 2026
With Melton starting to stand out as one of the best starters in the Tigers' rotation, along with Lee proving he deserves everyday at-bats, especially over the last month and a half, Detroit is starting to look like that dangerous team with high expectations as they were perceived going into the season.
Unfortunately for the AL Central standings, each of the five teams is riding a winning streak, so Detroit still sits 6.5 games out of first and 3.5 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot.
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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.