The Motor City is hungry for postseason baseball as the Detroit Tigers' regular-season journey winds down. August is practically over, meaning there's only a month to go before the playoffs begin on Sept. 30. The AL Central-leading Tigers are on pace to make some noise this fall, leaving fans eager to see if this is the year Detroit's World Series drought will end.
September is the perfect time for Tigers players to prove themselves to manager A.J. Hinch, whether they want a big role in the postseason or to stay in town for the long haul. With that being said, a certain infielder likely won't experience another regular-season month in Detroit if he doesn't step up soon.
Tigers SS Trey Sweeney is Entering Final September in Detroit
Expectations have been high surrounding Trey Sweeney ever since the Tigers acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline. The former 20th overall selection showcased plenty of potential during his time at Eastern Illinois, and Detroit fans couldn't wait to see if he could find similar success at the big-league level.
After playing 36 games in 2024, the Tigers thrust Sweeney into a bigger role this season, deploying him in 99 of their first 136 outings. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old infielder's bat has sullied much of the fan base's excitement, as he's only slashing .208/.270/.313 with six home runs, 31 RBIs, and 81 strikeouts across 265 at-bats. His average exit velocity (88.2 mph) is lower than it was last year (91.3), while his 27.6% strikeout rate is noticeably above the MLB average (22.3%).
The Tigers even sent Sweeney on a pair of Triple-A stints this summer, hoping that'd help him turn things around, but that hasn't been the case. In 14 games (34 ABs) amid his latest run in Detroit, the Louisville, KY native owns a .206 batting average and .611 OPS while striking out in 37.1% of his plate appearances during that stretch.
No matter how anyone looks at it, that's an awful performance that doesn't instill much optimism this close to the MLB postseason.
Between Sweeney and Javier Baez's inconsistencies, it isn't a secret that the Tigers' shortstop situation could use some work. Although Detroit could go shopping for another SS this winter, the front office might be willing to roll the dice on top prospect Kevin McGonigle in 2026. He's slashing .264/.382/.552 with eight HRs and 29 RBIs in 34 games (125 ABs) with Double-A Erie this season, and could be ready to make a massive leap.
Considering how Sweeney is only 25 years old and is arbitration-eligible through 2030, it isn't unfathomable to imagine the Tigers finding a trade partner for him this offseason. Teams are willing to take on projects all the time, and Detroit won't need his services anymore with Baez returning and McGoningle potentially being MLB-ready in the spring.
The clock is ticking for Sweeney as September arrives. If he can't prove his value sooner rather than later, he'll have no choice but to get out of the Motor City.