Hitting for Keith

[Paul Meloche]

A reader wrote in to The Athletic regarding why is Keith being hit for so often again this year. Perhaps surprisingly, the Tigers beat writer agrees with Hinch's strategy here although admits it hasn't worked at all this year (the Tigers don't have a pinch hit yet).

I still think Keith and Carpenter should get more benefit of the doubt against lefties even though their career numbers are admittedly not great against them.

Paul M.

[Jeffrey Withey]

You don't get better at things by not doing them.

-Jeff

Jeffrey H. Withey, Ph.D.

Professor and Interim Chair

 

Dept. of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology

Wayne State University School of Medicine

540 E. Canfield

Detroit, MI 48201

Withey lab website

 

 

 

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From: detroit...@googlegroups.com <detroit...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Paul Meloche <meloc...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 9, 2026 1:26 PM
To: Tigers List <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Hitting for Keith

 

[EXTERNAL]

A reader wrote in to The Athletic regarding why is Keith being hit for so often again this year. Perhaps surprisingly, the Tigers beat writer agrees with Hinch's strategy here although admits it hasn't worked at all this year (the Tigers don't have a pinch hit yet).

I still think Keith and Carpenter should get more benefit of the doubt against lefties even though their career numbers are admittedly not great against them.

Paul M.

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[Roger King]

I believe Keith had a grand total of 43 AB’s vs LH’s last season.  Hardly a large sample size, needless to say.

Roger King
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[Peter Welch]

I don’t agree with Hinch taking out Keith (and Carp) against lefties but Jones usually mashes lefties. The problem is that Jones hasn’t gotten on base at all in any of his appearances. The sample-size is small for Jones but fans on social media and forums are growing impatient with him and want him replaced.  I just want Hinch to let Keith get experience against lefties.  Keith is only 24.  He hit lefties ok as a rookie and in the minors.  

Peter 

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From: detroit...@googlegroups.com <detroit...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Paul Meloche <meloc...@gmail.com>

Sent: Thursday, April 9, 2026 1:26:30 PM

To: Tigers List <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Hitting for Keith

A reader wrote in to The Athletic regarding why is Keith being hit for so often again this year. Perhaps surprisingly, the Tigers beat writer agrees with Hinch's strategy here although admits it hasn't worked at all this year (the Tigers don't have a pinch hit yet).

I still think Keith and Carpenter should get more benefit of the doubt against lefties even though their career numbers are admittedly not great against them.

Paul M.

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[Michael W]

Exactly.  The biggest issue is that Keith is going to be crippled vs. left handers if he goes three years with nearly no practice. And whatever you think of Keith, he’s going to be around a while.

Michael 

[Peter Welch]

Agree, they invested all this money into Keith being an up-and-coming young star but they're making him a platoon player.

Peter

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From: detroit...@googlegroups.com <detroit...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Michael W <miw...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 9, 2026 2:39 PM
To: Detroit Tigers e-mail list <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Hitting for Keith

 

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[Roger King]

Colt Keith is hitting .350 with a .895 OPS.  You don’t remove him as a hitter from *any* game for *any* reason at this point.  Period. 

Jones is on the bench to pinch hit for guys like Meadows and McKinstry when a LH comes into the game.  If later on, he has to bat against a RH because he pinch-hit for Meadows earlier, no one will complain.

Hinch may have the right approach…recognizing that a key 6th inning hit may be the difference in the game rather than waiting until the last couple of innings… But he is practising the philosophy with the wrong guys.

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[Peter Welch]

You could make a case to sit Riley Greene against tough lefties sometimes.  Greene struggles against a lot of lefties, especially lefties with good breaking balls and change-ups.

I know people got upset when Hinch pinch hit Jones for Greene against a lefty reliever in the playoffs last year but I didn't think it was a bad move in the circumstances.  

Peter

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From: Roger King <pnag...@pnagency.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 9, 2026 6:53:53 PM
To: Peter Welch <pw...@hotmail.com>
Cc: Tigers List <detroit...@googlegroups.com>

Subject: Re: Hitting for Keith