Detroit Tigers 2021 season grades for catchers and infielders
By Eli Paszek
The Detroit Tigers‘ 2021 season has come to an end with a lot more positives than expected for the fanbase. A final record of 77-85 definitely did not feel in the cards after a 9-24 start or after Matthew Boyd, AND Spencer Turnbull went down for the season.
However, the Detroit Tigers fought hard and played good baseball, turning out their best finish since 2016. Part of this finish comes from the strong play from their positional corps. Of all of those positional corps, the most intriguing would likely be the infielders.
The rebuild has seen several years of poor play in the infield. Players like Dawel Lugo, Brandon Dixon, Gordon Beckham, Dixon Machado, and more have populated the positions for more time than palatable for fans of good baseball.
I mean, really, look at this Detroit Tigers team and tell me you don’t get a little sad.
But it is not 2019 anymore. The dark days have seemingly passed, and some old and new faces are leading the team down the path towards improvement. Whether it be by trade, free agency, or farm, the Tigers have found a new-look infield that adds significant value to the team on its rise out of the basement.
Although none necessarily lit the world on fire, the Tigers saw some of their biggest surprises and most fun players come out of the infield. Each infielder will receive a grade on the scale from A to F. Some determinants for the grade included performance, expectations, value, and general fun factor.