Detroit Tigers: AFL giving Colt Keith exactly what he needed

Detroit Tigers prospect Colt Keith is excelling out west.

When the Detroit Tigers released the list of players who were heading out west to join the Arizona Fall League, there was not a ton of surprise that Colt Keith was among those on the list. The 2022 AFL league has been an excellent chance for Keith to get back on track.

He missed most of the summer after sustaining an injury while diving back into first base on an attempted pickoff throw. The Detroit Tigers prospect missed time but was able to get back in the box and face live pitching, and so far, it has paid dividends.

Things were going well for Keith before he got injured. He played in 48 games for the Tigers High-A affiliate in West Michigan, where he slashed .301/.370/.544 with 14 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, and 31 RBI.

He was seeing the ball well and finding ways to get the job done. The injury really dampened things, but this fall has seen him pick up where he left off and leaves a lot of hope for him moving forward. It’s been great for him to use this fall to get some of that work in that he missed out on.

The development path that Keith has taken so far continues to get better and shows that he has a true upside to keep rising through the organization. This fall, Keith has gotten his work in, gotten his at-bats in, and continued to find barrels.

Keith has slashed .364/.492/.500 with three doubles and a home run over 14 games played with the Salt River Rafters. He’s got 13 walks to his credit as well, being able to find ways on base consistently.

It’s been great for him to head out west and finish out the season on a high note before heading into the winter. There are plenty of reasons to want to rope this into a big move up the prospect board.

Keith continues to find success this fall and has shown that the offensive tools are something to be excited about. With a new front office and a player development culture that should continue to improve from the top down, there’s plenty to be excited about with Keith.

The former fifth-round draft choice was a product of the Avila era but has plenty of opportunity to stick around and become a vital piece of the culture that Scott Harris is building throughout the organization.

Keith’s summer may have been cut short, but he has made the most out of his chances this fall out west in the Arizona Fall League.