Detroit Tigers: Mason Englert still finding his way in the MLB

Detroit Tigers should be happy with Mason Englert.

There's something to be said about the job that Mason Englert has done while wearing a Detroit Tigers uniform during the 2023 season. He was a Rule 5 Draftee this last winter that the Tigers brought in from the Texas Rangers organization.

This move to bring him in as part of the pitching staff for the Detroit Tigers has gone exceptionally well. The right-handed pitcher has a piece of the team's bullpen and has started settling in and finding his footing as part of the big leagues.

Remember, Englert, being a Rule 5 draftee, has to be with the big league club; otherwise, he must be offered back to the Rangers. It's the same deal as the Tigers ran with Victor Reyes and Rony Garcia in the past, as they were both Rule 5 picks.

Englert is a 6-foot-4, 206-pound right-hander with a physical look to his mound presence. He's got a 4-pitch mix, and with some changes to his repertoire, the Tigers have turned him into a primary FB/SL operator, with the slider being his primary pitch.

According to Baseball Savant Data, Englert throws the slider 38.1% of the time, making it his most used pitch, with the fastball clocking in with a 29.5% usage rate. He's got a changeup and curveball in the mix to round out the arsenal, but the fastball/slider is his go-to offerings.

He's been successful, getting the job done when the Tigers call for him out of the bullpen. Englert has pitched in 20 games, logging 35.0 innings pitched this season. He has walked 12 while striking out 24 opposing hitters, pitching to a 5.14 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP.

While the numbers are not leading him to be the Rookie of the Year or even the next best closer. But Englert has jumped from being a Single-A and High-A pitcher primarily to the big leagues. He has clocked in time at the Double-A level, but the Tigers have to keep him in the bigs, and he's done an excellent job adjusting.

There's something to be said about a player like Englert, who has been able to make the jump into the big leagues and at least pitch in games, not getting shelled every single time. There's room for improvement, but he's been a pleasant surprise for a player who had only climbed up to Double-A while with the Rangers.

The Tigers will keep phasing him into the big leagues and get him innings as he navigates his first season in the big leagues as part of the Detroit Tigers pitching staff.