Nick Maton struggled through first year with the Detroit Tigers

Nick Maton underwhelmed for the Detroit Tigers.

The Detroit Tigers came out in the off-season last year and made a few moves. One of those was to complete a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies. The trade included Nick Maton, who came into training camp looking to make a statement, and he did.

Nick Maton was exciting and did a good job earning his way onto the Detroit Tigers roster as part of the 2023 season. He earned his playing time and got his chances with the Tigers during the season; however, Maton was not able to keep up.

The 26-year-old infielder earned his way onto the Tigers roster, but he did not last in 2023; getting sent back to Toledo after struggles proved to be a problem for the left-handed hitting third baseman.

Coming into the season, it seemed like the Tigers found someone who could come out and be the guy that they needed. He patrolled the hot corner and did an excellent job in Spring Training, making it seem as if he was ready to hack it in the big leagues.

Maton played in 93 games for the Tigers during the 2023 season. He managed 249 at-bats where he slashed .173/.288/.305 with nine doubles and eight home runs, totaling 32 RBI during his tenure with the big league club.

The Tigers had seen enough and opted to shift Maton back to the minors, where he joined the Triple-A squad. Maton played 38 games with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, where he slashed .293/.414/.457 with 12 doubles, a triple, and three home runs, managing 27 RBI to his credit.

Maton may end up on the roster heading into 2024, but his first season in Detroit led to struggles. The numbers with the big league club were not pretty during the 2023 season. If not, Maton will start with the Mud Hens at the Triple-A level.

If Maton ends up starting with the Triple-A squad, he has a chance to prove himself, but his numbers will have to warrant a return, and when he does return, he has to perform better than he did during the 2023 season.

It's early to start carving out what the Tigers roster might or might not look like come spring ball, but Maton will need another big spring to prove he belongs again. But this also comes before any off-season moves have been made, and Scott Harris made change the landscape of the roster.