The Detroit Tigers fanbase reacted with excitement as news broke Monday about prospect Colt Keith’s call-up to Toledo. Now just a straight drive down I-75 from Comerica Park, Keith is one step closer to his Major League debut.

Congrats to Colt Keith, who was promoted to Toledo and will join the team in their upcoming series down in Columbus. Check out the interview we did before the season began as part of our TMLR Player Interview Series. https://t.co/IP3ooxhpfy pic.twitter.com/XDUnwzrwQ3

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 26, 2023

Indeed, Keith has left little to prove in Erie. With a batting average of .325, on-base percentage of .391, and slugging percentage of .585, he hit 14 home runs and notched 50 RBIs. He leads the organization in hits, home runs, and RBIs. His batting was a key factor in Erie clinching a playoff berth, all while playing two positions. Since the beginning of spring training, Keith has put together one of the best seasons by any Detroit Tigers minor league player.

However, recent weeks have seen a flurry of activity suggesting Keith might not make it to Toledo until potentially later in the season. First, let’s start with the comments by Scott Harris in regard to Keith.

“Colt has been very fun to watch,” Harris said. In many ways he’s embodied the offensive approach we’re trying to build around in this organization. He’s swinging at the right pitches. He’s accessing his power almost every night. But if you don’t catch yourself, it’s easy to forget he’s the youngest player on the team and one of the youngest players in all of Double-A.”

 

“I see all the speculation about promoting him,” Harris said. “But the best thing Colt can do right now is focus on getting better every day. The standard he is setting at that level, being obsessed with getting better every day, is the standard we want to have at all levels.

In addition, the Tigers recently sent Nick Maton down and signed infielders Joe Rizzo and Johan Camargo. Toledo currently has nine infielders and three outfielders, not including Steele Walker, who is currently rehabbing down in the complex league. While Justyn-Henry Malloy has shown versatility in playing the outfield, there are no current plans for Colt Keith to follow suit.

A change of plans, perhaps?

The pressing question is how to allocate playing time between Andre Lipcius, a versatile player who can cover any infield position and is on the 40-man roster, and Malloy. Keith’s unexpected move to Toledo has surprised some within the organization. Although initial plans allegedly indicated Keith would be moved after the first half of the season, a decision was then made to keep him in Erie for the entire season. Yet, as quickly as plans changed once, they did again. And now Keith finds himself in Toledo.

Colt Keith’s presence in Toledo now can be attributed to Scott Harris. While Keith has undeniably earned the promotion, it seems there’s a communication breakdown within the developmental side of the organization. But no one in the 419 area code will complain about the potential results.

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February 2023 interview with Colt Keith:

Image credit: Mike Godlewski/MiLB.com