3 surprise players who've dominated at Tigers spring training

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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.

2) Tigers pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is dominating this spring

Through four spring starts, Eduardo Rodriguez has given the Tigers 13 shutout frames. He has allowed 11 hits but not a single run. Two batters have walked and another 15 have seen strike three called against them.

Rodriguez owns a 1.00 WHIP and a .229 batting average against him. Although outshined in some of those numbers by teammate Matthew Boyd and others, the important thing for Rodriguez is how effective he has been at recording three outs without allowing anyone to cross the plate.

A much better season from Rodriguez is a necessity for the Tigers. He made just 17 starts last year while going 5-5 with a 4.05 ERA. Rodriguez could benefit from a big year, too. His contract has an opt out after the 2023 season. A big year and he could be looking at a fatter paycheck over the next few seasons.

Much of Rodriguez’s 2022 season was spent on the injured or restricted list. By the time he was available, the Tigers were well out of the postseason race and any starts he did make were far less competitive.

Tigers fans will have their fingers crossed that this early dominance in spring is something close to the version of Rodriguez they’ll receive in 2023 and maybe even beyond. After a lost year in season one with the team, it’s a big surprise to see him pitch this well.

3) Tigers reliever Miguel Diaz is making a name for himself

Tigers fans saw only a snippet of what Miguel Diaz can offer last season. In 3.2 innings of work, Diaz had a 2.45 ERA. It was hardly enough to judge him fairly. The 4.29 ERA he had in 65 minor league innings, on the other hand, was more than enough to dismiss him.

Not so fast. Diaz has 6.1 shutout innings for the Tigers this spring with 12 strikeouts. In a very different looking bullpen than the team had at the start of last season, there’s room for a guy like Diaz to contribute.

Despite a strong spring, Diaz won't be joining the team on Opening Day as he was optioned to the minors. It's a bit of a shame but understandable. He'll get his chance as long as he continues to prove himself later on.

As a non-roster invitee who rejoined the Tigers this offseason on a minor league deal, the odds were stacked against him from the start of spring. The Tigers have some pretty good depth among their non-roster invitees. Veterans Matt Wisler, Trevor Rosenthal, and Chasen Shreve have a chance to contribute at some point this year.

The Tigers will have to make sure that Diaz, or any of these other options, are ready. None have minor league options. Fortunately, the Tigers have a very open bullpen with plenty of room to give a veteran like Diaz a shot at some point.

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