A lot has gone right for the Detroit Tigers so far in the young 2025 season as the club sits in first place in the AL Central with a 17-10 record as April winds to a close. Tarik Skubal has been dominant and reminded everyone how insanely high his ceiling is. Prized free-agent re-acquisition Jack Flaherty has picked up right where he left off with the Tigers after a brief hiatus to win a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
On the offensive side of the ball, Spencer Torkleson has been on a tear and is showing signs of finally realizing his potential, which was something of a question mark heading into the season.
However, when one looks for who has been the early MVP for the Tigers and really dives in to evaluate the value of the totality of contributions, a different, much more under-the-radar player comes into focus as the answer.
Zach Mckinstry has been a do-it-all force for the Tigers, and his ability to contribute in multiple facets has silently made him the team’s MVP in the early going.
Zack McKinstry has silently been the Detroit Tigers’ MVP during their hot start
McKinstry entered the season as a light-hitting utility man, who the Tigers acquired two years ago in a nothing trade and would be easily overlooked in a conversation like this. There was no reason to expect a guy who posted a .215/.277/.337 line in 325 plate appearances to become the engine driving a team with playoff aspirations like the Detroit Tigers.
However, that’s exactly what’s happened. Through 25 games, McKinstry is slashing .325/.433/.475, good for a 166 wRC+, which ranks 16th in all of baseball. While not a power threat (McKinstry has just one homer on the season), his performance has been driven by a stellar 16.3% walk rate that ranks above all-world hitters like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.
In addition to the massive uptick in walks, he’s hitting the ball where it needs to go with a 32.2% line drive rate and a launch angle sweet spot percentage of 49.1%, which is in the 98th percentile in the league. This means that although he doesn’t hit the ball super hard, he makes contact in a way that is often conducive to generating a hit.
In addition to his offensive contributions, McKinstry has played at least one game at five different positions: right field, third base, second base, left field, and shortstop. He’s been a defensive plus, recording two outs above average in the field across all positions so far.
McKinstry makes his impact felt on the basepaths as well. With his sprint speed ranking in the 71st percentile and some solid instincts, he’s posted 1.0 baserunning runs above average on the year, according to FanGraphs.
McKinstry might not be a prototypical MVP candidate,. Even if he keeps up this level of production, he likely won’t enter the debate on a national level. However, his ability to produce offensively and on the basepaths while playing solid defense wherever the Tigers need him have made him invaluable to their early-season run, which is a narrative that cannot be overlooked.
