AJ Hinch lays out Tigers' catching plans for 2025 and fans will be excited

The Tigers' "pitching chaos" strategy last season was thrilling for fans to watch in action, but it was a special kind of challenge for Jake Rogers and especially Dillon Dingler, who was called up to the majors at the very end of July after Carson Kelly was traded to the Rangers at the trade deadline. Catcher is arguably the hardest position on the diamond to play, and Dingler was asked to get to know the many pitchers the Tigers trotted out and their repertoires with just two months remaining the regular season, and in the middle of a playoff surge.

2024 was Rogers' fourth season in the majors and his best defensively, by far. He graded out as an elite defensive player, ranking in the 95th percentile in Fielding Run Value, 91st in framing, and 89th in blocks above average. He was recognized as a Gold Glove finalist for his efforts this season.

At Winter Meetings, AJ Hinch and Scott Harris had effusive praise for their new catching tandem, and they confirmed that Rogers and Dingler would be their rostered 2025 catchers.

Tigers confirm Jake Rogers, Dillon Dingler catching platoon in 2025

Hinch addressed the fact that, while Rogers and Dingler performed well defensively this past season, their offense was definitely lacking. Catching isn't necessarily thought of as a power-hitting position, but Rogers' .197 average and Dingler's .167 did leave a lot to be desired. Hinch said, "Offensively, they both can change the score with one swing, which is something you can’t really find at that position very regularly."

It's unclear if the Tigers will try to split Rogers and Dingler's time as evenly as they did with Rogers and Kelly, but it's more likely that Rogers will get most of the starts behind home plate with Dingler filling in to give him more of an ease into the majors, which he wasn't really afforded this season. Hinch acknowledged that Dingler struggled when he got to the majors this year, but said he hoped that having him at spring training and having him on the roster from Opening Day would lead to a more productive 2025.

The Tigers infield is a little bit of a mess, but fans should be reassured that business behind the plate is in good hands. It's just a matter of getting those offensive numbers up (Rogers did have a 20+ homer season in 2023). If that happens, the Tigers should be golden.