I could not be more elated for Zach; he earned the hell out of this! Counting our bat boy Frankie, we’ve got six Tigers going to Atlanta!

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  4. A few posters here this spring training were saying they would boycott watching the team if McKinstry made the opening day big league roster. They are really missing out on a fun season!

    Not sure anyone saw quite this level of play (hitting, specifically) coming from McKinstry, but even prior to this season he has been one of the better utility players the Tigers have had in recent memory. Playing great defense at several spots, one of the best baserunners in the league, and did enough with the bat to be a solidly positive WAR player. Not a guy whose impact you judge based off of AVG/OBP/SLG, less you want to look dumb like those ignorant fans back in ST…

    He is not the MVP of this team/offense, but he has an argument as the Most Important Player for the first half. His elevated performance with the bat, combined with his defensive versatility, helped cover for the string of early injuries and allows for Hinch to be creative and fluid with lineups and matchups. Obviously Skubal and Greene are THE guys, but anyone who has coached ball before knows how huge of an impact McKinstry has had, going beyond all the stats and advanced metrics.

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