Detroit Tigers: Taking a look at Akil Baddoo’s 2021 season

The Detroit Tigers 2021 season is over and done with, but there’s plenty to look back on with this 2021 season. One of them has to do with the Tigers’ Rule 5 draftee, Akil Baddoo, who had a heck of a first season.

The 2021 Detroit Tigers were fun to watch, and one of those players who surprised many was Baddoo. After being selected from the Minnesota Twins in the Rule 5 draft, Baddoo was able to turn some heads and really get going on his professional career.

It was quite the jump for him from High-A to the MLB, but it worked out much better than many would have expected. Baddoo earned a spot in the Tigers outfield and proved that he could be a long-term solution.

He may not be some four-hitter who’s going to hit 40 bombs and drive in 120, but I think there’s real potential for him to stick in this outfield for some time. Baddoo had an incredible breakout season for the Tigers in 2021, and the hope should be that he can continue it.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo had a stellar 2021 season.

In 2021, Baddoo logged 124 games since he had to stay on the active roster for the entirety of the season. An injury shut him down, but he still collected 461 plate appearances over the course of the season.

He slashed .259/.330/.436 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI on the season. He also was 18-22 on the season for stealing bases, being able to provide benefit in several areas of the game. The Tigers made a great choice to bring in Baddoo and the 2021 season showed that.

Baddoo truly had a great season where he proved he can be a truly impressive acquisition to this Tigers outfield. It was a heck of a first season for Baddoo who kind of burst onto the scene and got the fanbase to rally around him.

The Tigers roster is likely going to change a bit over the course of this offseason, but if Baddoo has shown anything, he is going to earn himself a spot in the Tigers outfield. It seems like he is going to be one of the team’s corner outfielders for the time being and that’s highly unlikely to change.

Baddoo is just 22 years old and still has more than a chance to stick around for the long haul. The key thing to watch with Baddoo is going to be how the sophomore slump hits him or how he adjusts in year two.

But, looking at his 2021 performance, it looks like the Tigers found a diamond in the rough with Baddoo.