Detroit — Sometimes, you watch young players in the early stages of their development and try to envision what the finished product might look like.
What, for example, is the ultimate best version of Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling?
Already, at age 26 and in his first full season as a mostly everyday player, he’s showing himself to be a very capable hitter (112 OPS-plus, career-best seven homers in 245 plate appearances) and an above-average defensive outfielder.
Still, largely untapped, it seems, is his speed. He has elite sprint speed — 29.3 feet per second, which ranks in the top-5 percentile in baseball. He covers 90 feet in 3.92 seconds. He’s successfully taken an extra base 40% of the time he’s had the chance and only has been thrown out on the bases (non-stealing) once.
What are we looking at here? A Kirk Gibson-esque type of triple threat, maybe a better defender though, minus Gibson’s legendary clutch gene? Vierling certainly plays the game with the same football-player mentality Gibson had.
“I really do think I can be that triple-threat guy,” Vierling said. “But, it’s just like with hitting: everything takes time and it takes reps — game reps.”
Base-stealing and base-running are two different skills. Vierling, a bull of a man at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, is an aggressive base runner. He can and does often go first to third and second to home on singles. He’s scored from first on doubles.
He gets good secondary leads, for the most part, and has broken up a few double-plays with hard slides into second base. Gibson would be proud.
“He can be a very disruptive runner,” manager AJ Hinch said. “He can be a very aggressive runner at all times. He’s getting good at that.”
The base-stealing part, though, remains a work in progress. He stole his fifth base on Tuesday, even though he didn’t get a great jump. He’s been caught five times, as well. The fact that he’s tried to steal only 10 times and that he doesn’t have an automatic green light to go tells you he has work to do in this area.
“Time will tell if he can take advantage of some of the new rules and take some liberties at first base,” Hinch said. “Whether that is getting bigger leads or getting disengagements (from the pitcher). The more he plays, the more confident he will be stealing bases.
“But, he can be a really disruptive base-runner, and that’s a compliment.”
In 117 games as a part-time player with the Phillies last season, Vierling stole seven bases in 11 attempts. Often, he’d find himself on base with one of the Phillies’ left-handed hitters, like Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper or Brandon Marsh, at the plate — not a situation conducive to running.
Lefty pull-hitters like it when the first baseman holds runners.
This year, a nagging back injury has forced Vierling to tamp his enthusiasm a bit on the bases. But, the talent and desire to run more often is there.
“I know the numbers don’t say it as much, but I feel like that can be a part of my game,” Vierling said. “I put a lot of time into it. I study the pitchers. I read counts for when they might throw a breaking ball. I’ve been on top of the signs, so when they give me the chance to go, I’m ready.”
There’s a toll to pay, though, a body tax, on trying to swipe more bags. Already, Vierling is tracking fly balls into both gaps in spacious Comerica Park. He’s running into walls. He’s making diving plays. His natural aggressiveness alone puts stress on his body.
But, if anyone is built to handle the pounding, maybe it is Vierling.
“It definitely takes a toll on your body,” he said. “I see what Acuña is doing and I’m just like, man, that’s impressive.”
Atlanta Braves 25-year-old star Ronald Acuña, Jr., who, at 6-0, 205 pounds, is smaller than Vierling, has 41 stolen bases. He also has 24 doubles, 21 homers, 78 runs scored and a .414 on-base percentage.
“Like, I know the toll that takes on his body,” Vierling said. “To make such quick movements and then go pretty forcefully into the bag — I’m just really impressed with him.”
The thing is, as Hinch has pointed out before when talking about the body tax Riley Greene pays for how hard he plays, there is no pull-back at this level of baseball. Once you are on the field and in the game, there is no downshifting to save wear-and-tear on the body.
“You can’t have it both ways,” Hinch said. “You play the game hard and you play the game smart. That translates into outfield play a little bit with running into walls. Do you not want him to go after balls that he can catch because he’s afraid of the wall?”
“That’s not going to sit well with your teammates or with anyone.”
Playing careful is never a sound strategy.
“Do we want to be smart? Of course,” Hinch said. “Do I know the slide that’s going to break an ankle or a finger or hurt his shoulder? I don’t. I watched Acuña get his 40th stolen base and everybody held their breath because he slid in hard.
“Do we not want Ronald Acuña to chase history? I don’t know. I don’t think we can govern everything in this sport at this level. We will always play smart and clean.”
There is a line between aggressiveness and recklessness that young players like Vierling and Greene are learning to walk. It’s the same line Kirk Gibson learned to walk a couple of decades ago.
“The day that I tell players to play at a percentage underneath their best, that’s a really hard message for me to authentically share with a player for the sake of the unknown,” Hinch said.
Risk of injury isn’t restraining Vierling from being more of a menace on the basepaths and stealing more bases. It’s more about his relative lack of experience and confidence. As he said, that can only be gotten through game reps.
“I’m trying to be as aggressive as I can be,” he said. “I want to be that guy. I think I can be.”
Twitter: @cmccosky