AJ Hinch hints at Tigers' evolving baserunning approach fans have been dying for

The 2026 season has been a disappointment for the Tigers in more ways than just the win-loss column. While being likely to miss the postseason is the most disappointing aspect of the season, the offense and the inability to steal bases is right up there, too.

Detroit is second-last in the majors in steals this season and even with the addition of speed from the minors, there just haven’t been a ton of attempts.

According to Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, AJ Hinch is well aware that his team isn’t exactly known for swiping bags, but it’s not for a lack of effort or preparation. Plus, he acknowledges that adding a speedster like Max Clark to the lineup is going to change his approach in certain situations.

The Tigers spent most of the season dead last in steals, finished 30th last year, 26th two years ago, per Stavenhagen, and they’re dead-last in baseball since the start of 2022.

For a team that desperately needs all the help it can get with the offense struggling more than expected this season, ranking last in steals hasn’t helped matters. It almost seems as if Hinch doesn’t trust his guys, but Colt Keith even admitted that this is the most prepped that he’s ever felt for baserunning because Hinch puts a lot of stock into the situations.

For example, he won’t even consider running if the pitcher has a certain speed to the plate. If the pitcher is speeding up his delivery with Tigers on base, he won’t even risk it.

Plus, the Tigers are successful on about 69% of their attempts and according to Stavenhagen, teams aim for around 70 percent to even feel like it’s worth it. Being on the lowest end of that spectrum doesn’t exactly instill confidence in Hinch to let his guys run.

But adding Clark, who has “Porsche” speed, to the lineup has certainly changed things despite him having just two steals in a little over a month in the majors. Hinch wants to see him improve his leadoff and takeoff when the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand, but he’s working with the rookie to make sure that’s part of his arsenal so he can become the 30-steal guy that Clark expects from himself.

The Tigers’ youth movement is shifting the game plan

While the Tigers are close to last in steals this season and last since 2022, Hinch has to feel good about the guys coming up in the system like Clark or Kevin McGonigle, who leads the team with 12 steals as a rookie. Keith is another one of the young guys who could be somewhere in the 10-15 steals per year range if Hinch decides to be a little more aggressive moving forward.

Then there’s a guy like John Peck, who was just called up from Toledo and debuted at the end of August. He had 22 steals in the minors this season and just picked up his first MLB bag on Monday.

Zyhir Hope is going to be a potential Opening Day roster addition for 2027 and he, too, has the ability to steal. A lot of it is technique, and that’s something that Hinch is working at length with his guys on. There’s more to stealing bases than just having speed. It’s a combination of factors like pitcher speed to home, the situation, the catcher’s caught stealing rate, reading the pitcher’s movement toward the plate, and getting the perfect jump.

Not everyone has a good read on that combination of factors, but it’s something that Hinch is working on to ensure that there are more “second to homes” rather than just “first to thirds."

The speed in the system is going to change that philosophy entirely, and that’s music to Tigers fans’ ears.

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