Detroit Tigers rookie prospect collects his first career hit in MLB debut

The Detroit Tigers got the season started right, adding win no. 1 for the squad in their Opening Day match-up with the Chicago White Sox. They certainly had things working for them in game one, being able to see their pitching staff fire on all cylinders with a great outing from Tarik Skubal, and the bullpen was nails to slam the door.

As the Detroit Tigers look back on their offense, it was not high-powered or overly crazy, but they executed and were able to hang tough against Garrett Crochet. Sure, some folks do not know who Crochet is, but the hard-throwing left-hander touches triple digits, as he did on Thursday, and will have a great career in the big leagues.

The Tigers also saw some great things from their top prospect, former fifth-rounder Colt Keith. He may have gotten left out to dry by Spencer Torkelson on a grounder to the right side of the field in the early innings, but he did go out and get his first hit of his MLB career. Keith was able to leg out his first base hit on a grounder.

While he did not laser a line drive into the gap, belt a home run, or even line one backside -- he got his first career hit, and that's what matters most. The Tigers are investing heavily in Keith, and he was able to go 1-for-4 with his first hit on a single, putting the ball in play every trip to the plate. Crochet struck out 11 hitters, but Keith did not succumb to the punchout.

Detroit Tigers infielder Colt Keith collects his first career hit.

While the hit may not have been the absolute greatest, there was something to be said about his hustle and speed down the line. Keith was booking it out of the box and was able to leg out the hit, getting to first quickly to beat it out. Here's a video of Keith's first hit.

Before the 2024 season began this offseason, Keith signed his six-year contract extension with the Detroit Tigers organization. He ended up going to Spring Training, looking to prove that he was ready to make the jump to the big leagues. There was expectation that he would lock down a role with the Tigers, but there were questions about where he would play and if he would earn an everyday role out of the gates.

It seems that Keith has answered that pretty well. It's a long season, but it's good to see Keith get that first hit out of the way. Congratulations to Colt Keith on a terrific spring that has led to his MLB debut and hit no. 1 in his career.