Tigers fans are turning on Zach McKinstry again as he turns into a lineup black hole

The Detroit Tigers have too many problems to count right now, but one of the biggest problems in the lineup has been infielder Zach McKinstry. He was an All-Star in 2025 but has completely dropped off in 2026 and has become a lineup black hole.

The numbers are truly ghastly to look at for McKinstry. He’s hitting .162/.246/.216 with one home run and nine runs batted in. It makes one wonder how he was an All-Star a year ago.

Last season he slashed .259/.333/.438 with 12 home runs, 49 runs batted in, and 19 stolen bases. It was the best season of McKinstry’s career and it seemed like he had finally turned a corner. Now last season feels like a mirage in what has otherwise been a career of offensive disappointment for the 31-year-old.

His speed and defensive skills have never been in question dating back to his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But his bat was always a question mark. From his MLB debut in 2020 with the Dodgers through 2024 with the Tigers, his career slash line was .220/.285/.357. That's why Tigers fans were not all that high on him prior to 2025 and why they have soured on him again so quickly in 2026.

McKinstry has had some bad luck, but his numbers are still terrible

Now, McKinstry might have been a bit unfortunate this season because is expected batting average is .206. Still, that’s not exactly comforting when a guy who has been forced into being an everyday player due to injuries is barely clearly the Mendoza line with xBA while lagging well behind that mark with his actual batting average.

The thing that really stings is that manager A.J. Hinch doesn’t have a ton of options. If everyone was healthy McKinstry would absolutely be relegated to bench duties but with how banged up the team is he has to play a decent amount.

With Gleyber Torres set to return soon perhaps that will finally mean less playing time for McKinstry. He proved last season that he can be a really valuable player so maybe some time on the bench is whats needed so he can clear his head and get back on track.

Still, it’s just dispiriting to see him fall off like this after last season. Perhaps it shouldn’t be all that surprising though given how many injuries and how much misfortune has befallen Detroit this season.

It really just feels like one of those years when pretty much everything goes wrong so McKinstry’s struggles blend in with the team’s awful year as a whole.

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