Hao-Yu Lee's epic, tide-shifting HR should punch his ticket to Tigers' 2027 roster

The Tigers have struggled to live up to their 2024 "Gritty Tigs" moniker for most of the 2026 season. There have been times when they've offered hints at that chip-on-the-shoulder, do-or-die attitude, but they've rarely come up in the spots necessary to truly earn it back. Their 72-81 record going into Friday's night game was all the proof fans have needed.

The White Sox put up eight runs by the end of the third inning, and Tigers fans were confident that there was no way they would be able to come back from it; even the best teams in the league rarely do.

But something curious happened in the top of the fifth. Max Clark lead off the inning with a walk, then Eduardo Valencia and Hao-Yu Lee strung together a single apiece to load the bases with no outs. Kevin McGonigle — exactly the guy you want up in this scenario — didn't disappoint. He punched a ball into deep center field (it looked like it had a chance to get out for a while there) and ended up on third with a bases-clearing triple. Suddenly, the game was 8-5.

Lee doubled in the sixth to score another while AJ Hinch turned over the Tigers' bullpen to try to keep the White Sox's offense at bay. Lee came back up in the eighth, and after Valencia got on base with a one-out hit by pitch, he caught a fastball up and out of the zone, sending it over the wall in right field to tie the game.

Hao-Yu Lee penned his first signature moment with Tigers with game-tying homer in win over White Sox

Just look at that guy round the bases. That's absolutely electric.

The Tigers went on to defy all the odds and win. Lee's homer galvinized the rest of Detroit's offense. McGonigle walked, Gleyber Torres singled, and a slowly reawakening Dillon Dingler singled McGonigle in before Riley Greene dealt the killing blow: a two-run homer that was absolutely demolished. The score was 11-8, Tigers, and it held through the last out of the game.

Lee has had perhaps the most underrated year of any of the Tigers' many rookies this season. After that game, a 4-for-5 performance with a double, a homer, and three RBI, he's hitting .321 with a 1.126 OPS over his last seven games. Even when the Tigers have their backs to the wall, Lee is still playing like they have nothing to lose.

With an infield as crowded as the Tigers, it was easy to wonder if Lee would have some competition at second base in 2027. Max Anderson has long been passed over in Detroit's system, and they may need another place to play John Peck.

But this home run might have (perhaps should have) sealed the deal. Lee should be on the Tigers' Opening Day roster next season. Even if he enters an ugly sophomore slump, even if we don't see his defense improve next season, he has earned that honor.

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