Detroit — Most of the same players, all of the same goals. But a new home season for the Tigers also meant invigorating new sights and scenes, including something we hadn’t felt in 35 years — 70-degree weather on Opening Day.
The warmth spread through Comerica Park, and not just because the sunny breeze was spectacular. There was a new strong-armed pitcher with All-Star credentials in Framber Valdez on the mound. There was a renewed strong-armed pitcher in Justin Verlander, back after a nine-year absence, preparing for his Sunday home debut as the oldest player in the majors at 43.
Perhaps most enthralling in the Tigers’ 4-0 victory over the Cardinals Friday was the new hitter working his way toward phenom status. Third baseman Kevin McGonigle is the second-youngest player in the majors at 21, and while no one’s trying to rush him, he seems in quite a hurry of his own.
The sellout throng of 45,008 — largest Opening Day crowd since 2017 — had more than enough to cheer. Much of the gushing was for McGonigle, who elicited the first roar in his first at-bat with a towering flyball that was caught at the warning track in left-centerfield.
That was a near-miss. Almost everything else from McGonigle was a near-hit or an actual hit, including a looping drive in the fifth inning that he legged into a double that sparked a two-run rally. After a disappointing 2-4 road trip, the Tigers picked themselves up, with positive signs abounding.
With his hitting and a flurry of smooth plays in the field, McGonigle looks capable of fulfilling a rare billing, reaching the majors straight from Double-A with nary a whiff of Triple-A Toledo. He has nine hits in seven games, batting .346 with a staggering .952 OPS, and AJ Hinch has moved him in the lineup from sixth to leadoff. His glove and his arm have been virtually flawless.
“Are you surprised?” Hinch said when asked about the youngster’s debut. “This city’s gonna fall in love with this kid because of how he plays and how he represents himself. We just gotta let him play, gotta let him learn, and we gotta let him fail a little bit.”
McGonigle did have a baserunning miscue in the fifth inning, thrown out trying to go from second to third on a grounder that never made it past the pitcher. Hinch actually was more impressed by how quickly he composed himself.
It wasn’t as easy before the game, when McGonigle admitted he got a bit lost driving around the stadium, looking for the players’ parking lot. He’d never even been to Comerica Park since the Tigers drafted him 37th overall in 2023. When he stood in the introduction line on the field, it hit him hard. Tarik Skubal, Verlander and McGonigle received the loudest pregame ovations, no surprise.
“It’s one of those moments, and you feel like you’re dreaming,” McGonigle said. “The crowd’s going crazy, (standing) next to AJ, and it was just an unbelievable moment. I took it all in, right before I got in the box. But once I got in the box, I was ready to go.”
So were the Tigers, who got to Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy in the fourth inning on a two-run homer by Dillon Dingler. It was only the Tigers’ second home run of the season — both by Dingler — as they gradually stirred to life. Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter and Javy Báez had two hits each.
As far as the Tigers’ championship ambitions, nothing is more important than their pitching staff, which has to be the strength of the team. Verlander had a rough first outing in Arizona, and is hoping to reprise his revival with the Giants in the second half of last season. Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty are back with the chance to stack the rotation.
Valdez, 32, has been exactly as advertised as the Tigers’ big-ticket, free-agent pickup. He threw his second consecutive sterling start, shutting out St. Louis through six innings, allowing three hits, two walks and striking out five.
This is who Valdez is, for Tigers fans just getting to know him after he spent eight years starring in Houston and winning a World Series. He’s a left-handed workhorse who gives heft to the powerful rotation behind ace Skubal.
“It was such a good vibe in the ballpark, I was glad our new guys got to feel it,” Hinch said. “(Valdez) did a tremendous job to introduce himself to Detroit. It’s hard to hit him. I’ve seen him on the biggest stage and he never backs down from the competition. And I value that a lot in deciding how long to let him go.”
Valdez appreciated the latitude and also the welcome, probably as much as McGonigle did. This is the first time Valdez has moved to a new team, and he didn’t know exactly what to expect.
“It felt great,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “I loved the support, I loved the cheering. It made me feel like family. I love family.”
The Tigers’ family grew a bit, and one of its key players, McGonigle, grew even more. On a day fit for framing, it was just about picture perfect.
@bobwojnowski
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