Dillon Dingler is already in Lakeland, Florida.
The 23-year-old catcher has plenty of work to do.
He isn’t supposed to report to minicamp until Feb. 15, ahead of the first pitchers and catchers workout Feb. 16, but he has been active at the Detroit Tigers‘ spring training complex for the past few weeks. For now, only minor-league players are allowed in the facility due to MLB’s lockout amid collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
“I’m trying to do my part to be as polished as possible,” Dingler said Monday.
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The Tigers drafted Dingler in 2020 as a second-round pick from Ohio State. He made his professional debut in 2021, got to Double-A Erie for his final 50 games and, according to MLB Pipeline, is the Tigers’ No. 4 prospect.
But Dingler hit just .202 in Erie. He posted a 58 wRC+ (the league average is 100) with a 4.3% walk rate and 29.8% strikeout rate in 208 plate appearances.
“I didn’t finish the season as well as I wanted to, after having a decent start,” Dingler said. “Overall, I just want to be more consistent, especially there in the midseason to finish. It was a lot of different thoughts about things. Not different swings, but different approaches, stuff like that. I need to do a better job of sticking to one approach and going from there.”
The right-handed Dingler finished the season with a .239 batting average with 10 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs, 22 walks and 101 strikeouts in 85 games with Low-A Lakeland (three games, rehab assignment), High-A West Michigan (32 games) and Erie (50 games).
His season started much better, hitting .287 with eight homers and a 149 wRC+ for the Whitecaps.
The Tigers promoted Dingler and first baseman Spencer Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, to the Double-A level in June. They joined outfielder Riley Greene, the No. 5 pick in 2019, and rising shortstop prospect Ryan Kreidler.
In Erie, Dingler drew nine walks and struck out 62 times in 50 games. He posted a .264 on-base percentage, down from .376 in West Michigan. He slugged .314, down from .549 in West Michigan.
“Definitely better pitchers than the previous level,” Dingler said, “but I think I could do a better job of understanding certain situations and understanding what I want going up to the plate every single time, and just honing in on exactly what I want and not giving in to what the pitcher wants me to swing at or see.”
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Dingler landed on the injured list Aug. 6 upon fracturing his left index finger. He was catching Aug. 4 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Signs got crossed up with the pitcher.
“It really hurt that night,” Dingler said.
He wasn’t expecting a slider to come his way.
“I think we need to work on our signs in the minors,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Aug. 7, discussing the injury from afar at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
Dingler sat out three weeks with his broken finger, and even though he missed time, the grind of a full minor-league season was something he hadn’t experienced before. His previous career high was 53 games played for Ohio State in 2018.
He worked as his team’s catcher for 65 of his 85 games last season, logging a .998 fielding percentage, with seven passed balls and a 31% caught stealing rate in 559⅓ innings. Keeping up with a revolving door of minor-league pitchers (at two levels) was the most challenging task from a defensive standpoint, next to game-calling. He tried not to let poor offensive performances carry over to his defense.
Dingler felt the wear and tear on his body; not to mention, for a catcher, the mental demands can be just as laborious as the physical requirements.
“There was a certain month or two-month span where it definitely wears down on you,” Dingler said. “I learned different stretching, different workouts for maintenance that will be able to limit those setbacks. It’s all about how you manage your body, so you don’t go insane in late July and August.”
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On Aug. 16, the Tigers promoted Torkelson, Greene and Kreidler to Triple-A Toledo. Heading into 2022 season, Torkelson and Greene will compete in spring training for spots on the Opening Day roster.
An injured Dingler stayed in Double-A for the rest of the season and continued to soak up information about the catcher position, widely considered the most challenging job in baseball.
“Catcher has always been defense first,” Dingler said. “You got to make sure your club and your pitchers have all the confidence in the world with you in order for them to feel comfortable and perform as well as possible. If you get a catcher that can hit, it’s always just a plus.”
Dingler seems lined up for another go-around in Erie to start the 2022 season. Before advancing to Triple-A, he must show defensive developments, such as game calling, and consistency in his approach as a hitter.
“I was disappointed, but not with the decisions made,” Dingler said. “Obviously, I want to be in the position that Spencer’s in, but I’m realistic. I know I hadn’t been performing as well as I could have been, and I need to learn a little bit more.
“I’m not going to be mopey because my name didn’t get called. I just got to learn about the game more, have some success and hopefully make the jump.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.