AJ Hinch's home opener lineup decision overshadows Tigers fans' Kevin McGonigle excitement

Opening Day has finally come to Detroit, and despite some early concerns about a rainy and/or a blustery day, it's in the beautiful high-60s. Tigers baseball should get underway with no concerns this afternoon.

The Tigers are looking to bounce back from a series sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks, after each of those three games offered a uniquely frustrating storyline for fans to react (maybe overreact) to. They'll face the 4-2 Cardinals. Anyone hoping for a Kevin McGonigle-JJ Wetherholt matchup will have to wait, though. Wetherholt, a lefty, will sit as the Tigers put lefty starter Framber Valdez on the mound.

AJ Hinch's lineup does include McGonigle — how could it not? — and fans won't be made to wait long to see him. The Professor gets his first appearance batting leadoff.

McGonigle rocketed from sixth in the order to first within exactly a week, and it's not just for appearances. He's the Tigers' best hitter right now, though you could make an argument for Colt Keith.

The very same Colt Keith who Hinch is leaving on the bench to kick off this series. Unsurprisingly, fans aren't too happy about that decision.

Kevin McGonigle bats leadoff, Colt Keith rides the bench in Tigers' home opener vs. Cardinals

Keith and McGonigle are neck-and-neck for the title of Detroit's best hitter right now. Through six games and 22 plate appearances each, they have identical batting averages (.364) and identical slugging percentages (.545) — it's almost uncanny. McGonigle has Keith beat in OBP, but not by much: .440 to .417. Keith has more extra-base hits (all doubles, while McGonigle has a triple), but McGonigle wins out in RBI.

All of this to say that, after an awful offensive showing in their series finale against the Diamondbacks — in which Keith and McGonigle were two of the only Tigers batters to get themselves into scoring position — and early concerns about the offense, shouldn't we be putting our best foot forward for the home opener?

The underrated beauty of the Tigers' roster is its flexibility. Keith could be an easy swap with Zach McKinstry at second base or Spencer Torkelson at first, depending on what calls to Hinch during the game.

It's a small consolation (of course we think that Keith should get as many at-bats as possible), but it wouldn't be surprising if we see some mid-game changes that gives one of Detroit's hottest hitters another chance to prove he should be an everyday fixture.