3 surprise players who’ve dominated at Tigers spring training

Detroit Tigers fans are hoping for much better results in 2023. Although spring training statistics are only a small glimpse of what could be on the way, who doesn’t enjoy a little bit of extra optimism?

This spring, the Tigers have had a few players grab the bull by the horns and make some noise. Riley Greene has been one of the more dominant hitters on the roster. Those of us who are high on him wouldn’t consider his success much of a surprise.

A few others have been surprises. Will it carry over into the regular season?

1) Tigers infielder Andre Lipcius dominated this spring with run-producing hits

Andre Lipscius is having a much different spring than anyone could’ve expected. The 24-year-old infielder leads all Tigers with 11 RBI to go along with his 3 home runs. He hit 12 all of last year on the farm. Success from Lipcius early on this spring should have him in the conversation to join the Tigers for some regular at-bats.

The dominance from him doesn’t extend too far beyond the power and timely hits with runners on base. He’s slashing .289/.289/.605 with 4 strikeouts in those 38 at-bats. He has yet to draw a walk all spring. This is another surprise for a guy who drew 86 free passes last year compared to 89 strikeouts.

Lipcius made it all the way to Triple-A last season where he’d welcome a few more plate appearances than the 46 he received last season. A sudden power surge in March shouldn’t have anyone thinking he’s the next Al Kaline. Lipscius can contribute in his own way. The ability to get on base has already been present throughout his professional career. Add some more pop and success with runners on base and he becomes a greater asset for Detroit.

Already optioned to the minors, his presence on the 40-man roster should make him an early promotion candidate as soon as he is needed.