Seattle — Collectively, the 2022 season has been a failure. That’s an unassailable truth. A Tigers team that was expected to at least stay near enough to .500 to keep things intriguing in the final months was wracked by injury and underperformance and fell out of contention before the summer even got hot.
But it wasn’t all bad. There were some encouraging points of light that shined through the gloom.
▶ Akil Baddoo: You can pooh-pooh September performances all you want, but Baddoo’s resurgence has lifted some weight off the Tigers (and himself) going into the offseason.
His performance Monday night in the Tigers’ 4-3 win here was dynamic and impactful — exactly the words often used to describe Baddoo last season when he captured the hearts of Tigers nation.
He got on base three times with two singles and a walk and he stole two bases in three attempts. He also made a spectacular diving catch to rob Jarred Kelenic of a hit and saved a run by hustling into the gap to cut off a double by Julio Rodriguez, which held the lead runner, Adam Frazier, at third base.
“Every part of his game is a work in progress, but Akil had a really good game,” manager AJ Hinch said.
In his last 11 games, Baddoo is hitting .314 (11-for-35) with an .813 OPS. He’s walked four times, scored eight runs and stolen five bases. He’s bunted for hits. He’s beaten out ground balls on the infield. He puts constant pressure on a defense.
Since Sept. 1, he’s drawn 10 walks in 69 plate appearances.
“It’s about zone control, bottom line,” Hinch said. “He’s walking at a rate that’s extreme, by anyone’s standards.”
He’s stolen nine bases on the season, five out of seven tries in the last two weeks. Monday night, he outran two mediocre jumps off first base, but on the third attempt, he got a massive jump on reliever Diego Castillo. He’s a menace on the bases and he isn’t even close to being a polished base-stealer.
“He’s getting more and more bold,” Hinch said. “He got caught in between on the one, but he’s looking for keys and he’s starting to pick them up on his own a little bit.”
He is also a plus-7 on the season in defensive runs saved in left field. With him in left, Riley Greene in center and Victor Reyes in right, the Tigers cover as much ground as just about any outfield in baseball. According to Sports Info Services, the Tigers are fifth-best with a plus-7 runs saved with outfield positioning.
Compare what we’re seeing from Baddoo now to where he was in April, hitting .140 and striking out every four at-bats — that’s perseverance and growth.
▶ Eric Haase: He was playing sparingly and hitting .191 with two home runs a week into June. Since June 8, though, he’s been sizzling, slashing .285/.335/.507 with an .842 OPS, 12 home runs and 38 RBI. He homered in two straight games coming into this series.
The overall production is more of a correction back to normal for him. The growth, though, is his production against right-handed pitching. He’s hitting .245, slugging .451 with a .748 OPS against right-handers. He’s hit 10 of his 14 homers off right-handers.
Last year, he barely hit .200 (.204), slugged under .400 (.390) and had an OPS under .500 (.461) against them.
“Always he’s got the big swing and the bat speed and the power,” Hinch said. “He has that natural look to be a threatening hitter against left-handed pitching. But he’s gotten a little better against right-handed pitching and against different styles of pitchers. It’s hard to say he’s grown up a little bit as a 29-year-old man, but he’s still new in his career.
“I think he’s matured a little bit and finally feels like a big-leaguer in his hometown. And that’s not easy to do when you’ve had the career path he’s had.”
The Tigers are likely to seek catching help this offseason. Jake Rogers, who missed the entire season after Tommy John surgery, will be one of the question marks coming into camp next spring. But if Haase, whose 2.2 WAR is second-highest on the team, continues to do damage against right-handers, he could influence whether the club seeks a veteran backup or a starter.
“He’s always been disappointed by one break or another that hasn’t gone his way,” Hinch said. “As an ex-catcher, a father and a journeyman myself, I think I can relate to his perseverance as an endearing quality. He’s tough, man. He’s tough mentally and he’s tough physically.
“He loves being a Tiger. He loves being here.”
▶ Alex Lange: More people need to take notice of what he’s done this season. He’s been an absolute beast. His 44.7% swing-and-miss rate is tops in the game. He ranks in the top-90 percentile in chase rate (35.6%), strikeout percentage (31%) and expected slugging percentage against (.302).
His curveball and changeup are two of the most effective pitches in the game. He’s getting whiffs on 58% of his curves and 56% of his changeups.
Ridiculous. Entering play Tuesday, he hadn’t allowed a run in 13 outings, covering 11.1 innings. He’s picked up three wins and five holds in that span. His seven wins are third-most among relievers in the majors. This from a pitcher who, at the beginning of last year, struggled to finish an inning in less than 25 pitches.
Growth.
That’s not a full list of encouraging performances from this disappointing season. The emergence of rookie pitchers Beau Brieske, Garrett Hill and Jason Foley. Javier Baez’s hot finish. The successful re-entry of lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez. Riley Greene’s ability to control — at times, spectacularly — center field. Joe Jimenez’s renaissance. Drew Hutchison making 18 starts and eating up 105 innings after being thrice designated for assignment.
These aren’t silver linings, necessarily. Just things to preserve from the wreckage.
On deck: Mariners
First pitch: 4:10 p.m. Wednesday, T-Mobile Park, Seattle
TV/Radio: Bally Sports Detroit, 97.1.
Scouting report:
LHP Tyler Alexander (4-11, 4.72), Tigers: Even though he will close the season with 13 straight starts, including back-to-back gems at the end of September, this was a broken season for him. He started in the rotation, missed a month and a half because of a forearm strain and spent another month working out of the bullpen. The injury to his forearm, though he’d never admit it, seemed to adversely affect his changeup. He couldn’t pronate his wrist consistently. Neither the characteristics nor the results (.326 opponent average, 18.6% whiff rate) were the same.
TBA, Mariners: Manager Scott Servais, trying to arrange his pitching plans for the postseason, has not named his starter.
Twitter: @cmccosky