How Detroit Tigers’ Matt Vierling became a ‘yes man’ in the best way possible

LAKELAND, Fla. — Hey Matt Vierling, you are gonna play right field today.

Yes, coach.

Hey Vierling, you are going to bat leadoff against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Yes, coach.

Hey Vierling, you are going to play third base in a few days, so grab your other glove. We want you to get in some work on the backfields at TigerTown and take some extra grounders.

Yes, coach.

Hey Vierling, we’d like you to make some adjustments to your swing.

Yes, coach.

Hey, Vierling, here are some reasons why we traded for you, and here are the things we think you can do better.

Yes, coach.

“He’s a little bit of a throwback because he’s a ‘yes’ to everything,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday.

Ask Hinch about this young, talented, versatile player — who came to the Tigers in the Gregory Soto trade with the Philadelphia Phillies — and he smiles.

“He just wants to play and has a ton of energy,” Hinch said.

Hinch has been impressed by Vierling’s attitude, approach and athleticism.

“He’s got an infectious personality,” Hinch said. “I’ve heard he’s a gamer, and I see it is very evident. He loves to play.”

Vierling started in right field against the Pirates on Wednesday afternoon and batted leadoff. He hit a sharp single — 106 mph off the bat, which was no surprise. He’s known for smoking the ball. This spring, Vierling has three straight games with a hit, including a home run. He has a .375 batting average — yes, a small sample size. But hits are hits for a team that had a horrible offense in 2022.

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“He’s blending in to all the new things,” Hinch said. “He’s not against development. He’s not against us telling him why we traded for him and what we feel like he can do better. He’s soaked it all up and blends in very, very easily.”

Vierling has a good arm and can run like a deer — he’s the 20th fastest player in the big leagues, according to MLB. He has big league experience at all three outfield spots, as well as at first, second and third.

Talk to him for a few minutes — he has that courteous, respectful, friendly, Midwestern vibe — and it’s hard not to root for him.

Watch him play, flying around the field with ease, and it’s hard not to like what he could do for this team. If he keeps hitting.

“His athleticism is probably very underrated because people don’t talk about it,” Hinch said. “He can do a lot of things in the field that are unique.”

Prepared for Detroit weather

Vierling grew up in St. Louis. His father, Dan, played football at Notre Dame — a defensive end — but Dan’s football career ended with a torn ACL.

Which had a direct impact on Matt.

“I played everything, but my dad didn’t want me playing football,” Matt said.

As a freshman in high school, Matt dislocated his shoulder, which effectively ended his football career.

As a junior in high school — the most important season for getting in front of scouts before his draft year — he slid into a base and broke his ankle, which forced him to miss several pre-draft showcases.

So, he ended up signing with Notre Dame.

“I think it was a good thing for me,” he said. “It gave me a little break.”

Even though he was drafted by his hometown St. Louis Cardinals coming out of high school, Vierling went to Notre Dame. Just like his father.

“It was amazing,” Vierling said. “Met some of my best friends in my life. School was hard, the weather can be tough at times, but the campus is beautiful. I love the people that are there.”

Yes, about that weather.

Vierling should have no problem playing in April in the D, because he saw all kinds of miserable, cold weather playing in South Bend.

“After you play up there at Notre Dame,” his father said, “and it’s 20 degrees outside and your hands are frozen and you can’t feel your feet, playing in Detroit in April won’t be a big deal.”

After getting drafted in the fifth round by the Phillies, Vierling started rising through their system. But he learned an important lesson at High-A.

A lesson he brings to the Tigers.

“I struggled when I tried to lift the ball, trying to hit more home runs,” he said. “That’s what I felt like the Phillies wanted me to do. They wanted me to elevate it, instead of hitting line drives on the ground. I tried to do that and it didn’t work. I’m not a guy who tries to hit home runs. They just kind of happen.”

Bigger, stronger … wiser

Vierling is listed at 205 pounds. But he’s actually bigger than that. He gained 20 pounds over the offseason and is now up to 220.

“Matt was always skinny,” his father said. “Never gained weight so he’s finally filled out.”

Now, Vierling is in a strange situation with the Tigers.

He’s still just 26 years old. And he’s inexperienced, having played 151 games in MLB. But that’s actually a veteran compared to some of the youngsters who could break with the Tigers.

And he has already gone through struggles and learned how to make adjustments.

“I was just really trying too hard,” he said of 2022, when he struggled early, was sent back down to the minors, cleared his head and then came back up and produced. “It comes from a good spot, but really just wanting to do too much.”

Even though he’s young, he has played in some big games. He got into 12 playoff games last year with the Phillies, and saw action in three World Series games.

Perhaps most importantly, he was mentored by Phillies leftfielder Kyle Schwarber, learning how to do things the right way.

“He learned so much from Kyle Schwarber,” Dan said of his son. “Schwarber is the leader, he is the mentor to young kids. He is the guy who comes into the clubhouse the same every day. He’s a guy who plays cards with all the young guys. He’s the guy who talks with the press. When my son was red hot, he said, ‘you know, enjoy it. But you know what baseball is? Eventually, you’re gonna struggle.’”

Vierling carries those lessons to the Tigers.

“Try to be humble and just focus on the game,” Vierling said. “Don’t give the guys that you’ve been watching on TV your whole life any more credit. They are still pitchers throwing the ball and they can be hit.”

In Philadelphia, on a winning team, he learned how to act the right way.

How to be the same person, no matter what happens on the field.

And when someone from the staff makes a request, there is only one answer:

Yes, coach.

Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.

To read Seidel’s recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.