What’s the situation with the catchers on the Detroit Tigers roster?
As the starting catcher for the Detroit Tigers, Jake Rogers has assumed leadership. Does he deserve that position? Perhaps, perhaps not. In some way, Carson Kelly is the Tigers’ backup catcher. Why? experienced management? Not much else could it be? It seems that Dillon Dingler has assumed the role of the next forgotten prospect by the Tigers. While it is possible to call up a prospect too soon, it is equally problematic to allow them to fade away in the minor leagues. What then are they holding out for? A request for an invitation? For Scott Harris to suddenly get an idea? Right now, who knows?
In the second round of the 2020 draft, Ohio State’s Dillon Dingler was selected. In the minors, the young player has excelled. In the minors, he has slashed.244/.335/.434 overall. Though he is a catcher, the offense isn’t often the top concern, thus those aren’t particularly impressive figures. Defense and a career come first.The fielding percentage of 991 is impressive. This raises the issue of his leadership, which is yet another crucial trait for a catcher. Nothing has been said in public regarding his character, and that is often kept within the company.
As the starting catcher for the Tigers in 2023, Jake Rogers had a breakthrough season, hitting.221 with 21 home runs. While the.221 batting average and the.286 on-base percentage are not impressive, the 21 home runs are. There is undoubtedly space for development in that area. The issue is that WAS is getting better, and Jake will soon be 29 years old. That is not to argue that the team should completely lose up on him; that is untrue. To claim that he has secured this position indefinitely would be an exaggeration. Rogers’ leadership and professionalism have been questioned throughout the minors, as has his offensive output.
Because Rogers frequently threw the ball around behind the plate carelessly during games, former Tiger manager Ron Gardenhire excluded him from the Opening Day roster. His superior defense was unquestionable. That was his main selling point all along. Some claimed he was a master at throwing out runners and possessed an arm like Ivan Rodriguez. Rogers only rejected 13% of possible base stealers in 2023. That was 36th in MLB standings. Despite having a.990 fielding % and a rare error rate, his defense does not allow him to get away with hitting.220.
Carson Kelly presents an intriguing scenario. He has experience. A veteran’s presence on a squad is not problematic. The issue lies in Kelly’s lack of productivity. Kelly scored.206 in his Tigers career last year. An MLB hitter is not that. He will become thirty years old soon. For now, he is what he is. His defense is solid, but not strong enough to give up an average of.206. He spent the most of last year as a free agent for a reason. I understand what the Tigers were doing the previous season in the wake of the Eric Haase scandal, which finally led to his release, but Scott Harris would probably believe it wise to re-sign him this season.
Dillon Dingler and Jake Rogers must swap starts for the Detroit Tigers.
This seems like a simple fix to me: Carson Kelly can find another job, and if you really want him in a leadership capacity, tell him he can coach for you or work with minor league catchers in Toledo. Dingler and Rogers are now the next in line for catcher duty. Platoons look extremely realistic, but you can’t bring a potential up and have him sit on the bench.
If Dingler is gradually brought up into the lineup, give him a chance to experience major-league pitching and see if he can take the strain. In addition, you have a fallback strategy in case Rogers stumbles and loses his strength this season. Keep Dillon from playing in Detroit and don’t let him rot in Toledo.
