Detroit Tigers: 4 position battles to watch throughout spring training

Utilityman/bench bat

There are A LOT of players vying for a spot on the bench or as a utlityman. Zack McKinstry seems like a good bet to get one. That leaves Justyn-Henry Malloy, Akil Baddoo, Wenceel Perez, Eddys Leonard, and a whole bunch of others left fighting for one, maybe two spots.

We've already established that Malloy is going to have to hit his way on to the roster. Perez and Leonard would likely have to do the same thing. Baddoo has a bit of an edge because of his speed. Hinch likes having that guy that can come off the bench late in games to pinch-run.

There is oen guy that a lot of people, including myself, have forgotten about: Ryan Kreidler. Remember him? Remember how he was getting hyped up in 2021? Sadly, he's been injured much of the last couple years, so the hype has died considerably. But assuming he's healthy, he has just as good of a chance as anyone to make the team, especially considering how well he plays shortstop.

The bottom of the roster is where we'll see the most movement and competition. We all know Hinch loves himself a good utilityman. We'll have to wait and see which one(s) he picks to make the team.