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Dillon Dingler's success just reminded Tigers of painful Rule 5 Draft loss

This one still stings a bit.
ByNick San Miguel|
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May 25, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Miami Marlins first baseman Liam Hicks (34) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
May 25, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Miami Marlins first baseman Liam Hicks (34) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

It’s been a brutal season for the Detroit Tigers for many reasons, but one bright spot has been catcher Dillon Dingler. Earlier this month, he jumped into the lead of all American League catchers in runs batted in, but in the process reminded the Tigers of the one that got away in Liam Hicks.

Dingler is hitting .254/.330/.525 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI on the season. He has already surpassed his home run total from last season in 64 games this season while he played in 126 last year

He has been fun to watch and is making a case for a contract extension, but one cannot help but think about Hicks, who is having a great year with the Miami Marlins. In 68 games, Hicks is hitting .272/.352/.482 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI.

Tigers once had Liam Hicks but let him go for nothing

For those who may have forgotten, Hicks was in the Tigers organization not that long ago. Detroit acquired him in a 2024 trade with the Texas Rangers in exchange for Carson Kelly. 

The Tigers left Hicks unprotected and the Marlins ended up snagging him via the Rule 5 draft in December of 2024. That wound up being a pretty wise move by Miami, considering Hicks was solid last season, slashing .247/.346/.346 with six homers and 45 runs driven in.

But 2026 appears to be his breakout year, thanks mostly due to the power he has displayed.

Dingler’s great year makes the sting of losing Hicks hurt a little less. This is Dingler’s third year with Detroit and he proved in 2025 that he can be a solid, above-average catcher. Now he is proving he can be a guy who hits 20-plus homers in a season.

Combine this newfound power with the fact that he grades out as one of the best framers among MLB catchers and an argument can be made that he’s a better overall catcher than Hicks who ranks further down on the framing leaderboard.

If Hicks was doing what he’s doing and the Tigers were cycling through catchers who weren’t doing anything offensively, then losing him would look like a massive blunder. It still definitely looks like a mistake, but the fact that Dingler has looked so good this season at least provides some consolation for the Tigers.

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