Detroit Tigers Have Been Successfully Aggressive Taking Extra Bases

The Detroit Tigers have been the hottest team in baseball over the last few weeks. They have gone from presumed spoilers in the American League to fringe playoff teams, forcing their way into the discussion with their recent performance.

The Tigers have been red hot, riding an MLB-high six-game winning streak entering play on Thursday. Now 68-66 on the season, they have seen their playoff odds slowly begin to increase.

Detroit is still a long shot, currently sitting 4.5 games behind the final wild card spot occupied by the Minnesota Twins. But, you cannot count them out with World Series-winning manager A.J. Hinch leading the way and pushing all of the right buttons.

What has helped the Tigers burst onto the scene?

The return of Kerry Carpenter extended the lineup, providing the team with another middle-of-the-order producer. Riley Greene continues playing at a high level as well.

But, the emergence of their young players in the lineup certainly has played a major role and provided a spark. Parker Meadows, Jace Jung, Colt Keith, Trey Sweeney and Spencer Torkelson have all contributed in recent weeks.

With a team full of young, athletic hitters, combined with the massive outfield at Comerica Park, it should come as no surprise that one of the edges that Detroit has created is on the base paths.

BrooksGate on X recently shared a post highlighting one stat every team leads the Majors in this season. The Tigers currently sit atop the leaderboard in triples.

On the season, Detroit has recorded 40 three-baggers. They are ahead by a significant margin, as the Arizona Diamondbacks are second with 33. 

In last place is the Chicago White Sox, who have only eight. Five players in the league have exceeded or equaled that amount on their own; Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox, Corbin Carroll of the Diamondbacks, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, Mike Yastrzemski of the San Francisco Giants and Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds.

Eight players have recorded multiple triples on the season. Greene, Meadows, Matt Vierling and Wenceel Perez have five triples apiece, which would place them in a tie for 13th with the Toronto Blue Jays alone.

That aggressiveness and speed on the basepaths have certainly played a big role in things turning around for the Tigers. Expect them to continue pushing the envelope, as speed puts a lot of pressure on opposing teams to play clean defensively.