Five Things We Liked From Last Week, April 11th

Welcome to “Five Things We Liked From Last Week”, a weekly list of… five things we liked from last week:

1. Zach McKinstry

Back on July 31, 2024, Zach McKinstry was hitting .177 with a .238 OBP and .290 slugging percentage for the ’24 season, which added up to a 50 wRC+. While his versatility, glove and baserunning were as valuable as ever, it was getting hard for A.J. Hinch and Scott Harris to justify his spot on the roster.

However, from August 1^st through the end of last season, something clicked for McKinstry: his slashline from 8/1 on was .279/.341/.414, good for a 117 wRC+. And so far in the ’25 season, Zach has not only met those numbers but surpassed them, with a monster .371/.452/.571 line leading to a 191 wRC+.

While it’s doubtful that McKinstry has suddenly become Babe Ruth, his elevated production does look somewhat sustainable; he’s walking more, striking out less, and as our own Rogelio Castillo astutely pointed out this week, his batted ball data is better.

McKinstry has been the lowkey MVP of the Tigers so far in the 2025 season, and is the linchpin of A.J. Hinch’s masterclass in matchup manipulation. Clumsy alliteration aside, Zach Attack is extremely valuable to the Tigers.

2. Troy Melton

In March 21^st’s ”Five Things”, we mentioned one Troy Melton as a prospect to keep an eye on this season. To recap, Melton followed up an excellent ’23 season in High A West Michigan with what on the surface looked to be a somewhat disappointing ’24 season in Double A Erie; but if you looked under the surface, you’d notice that advanced stats like xFIP actually preferred his ’24 season to his ’23 season. An elevated home run rate and some odd reverse platoon splits hurt Melton’s front page stats like ERA in ’24 compared to ‘23, but his strikeout rate increased and his walk rate held steady despite moving up a level.

Scott Harris, Ryan Garko and company decided that it was worth Melton repeating the AA level to start the ’25 season, and Melton has been on one to start the year: in eight innings so far, he’s allowed just 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10.

If the big righty keeps this up, it won’t be long until he gets the call to AAA Toledo; where he’d find himself just one step away from the big leagues.

3. Jace Jung

Heading into spring training, it’s fair to say that Jace Jung was in the driver’s seat when it came to the third base position in Detroit. Things didn’t quite go according to plan though, and Jung was eventually optioned down to Triple A Toledo with several days left in Grapefruit League action.

It would have been natural for Jace to be discouraged, and take some time to find his bearings this season; but Jung has been on fire down in Toledo, to the tune of a .306/.444/.611 slash. While Zach McKinstry has filled in admirably at third for Detroit, and while potential third base option Matt Vierling appears to be on the mend, it never hurts to have options. Jung is doing his best to keep himself in the mix to start the ’25 season.

4. Max Clark

Approximately one year ago, my then two-year old son’s maximum walking speed was that of a baby penguin. Now, just one year later, he’s not only running at full speed, but doing borderline flips off the couch.

It is clear that he is coming into his own, and to bring this way-too-long-already analogy to a merciful close, just like my now three-year old, top Tigers prospect Max Clark appears to be coming into his own this season as well.

Last season was certainly a success for Clark, who slashed .279/.371/.421 between Single A Lakeland and High A West Michigan, for a combined 129 wRC+. But this season, he looks more comfortable and confident at the plate, and the numbers back it up: .368/.556/.579 for a massive 229 wRC+.

The sky is the limit for Clark, and his steady hitting, plate discipline, defense and baserunning provide an underrated floor as well.

5. Kenny Serwa

Back in February 28^th’s “Five Things”, we discussed the Tigers signing minor league free agent Kenny Serwa. Serwa went viral this offseason by hitting 88.5 mph with his knuckleball, the fastest knuckleball ever recorded.

We mentioned it would be interesting what Detroit’s pitching department had in store for the right-hander, and folks, what they had in store looks pretty good.

Serwa debuted with the West Michigan Whitecaps last Saturday, and proceeded to pitch 4 scoreless innings of no hit, no walk baseball with 4 strikeouts. While there was no radar gun on the broadcast, according to the excellent Emily Waldon, Serwa’s knuckler sat around 80-82 mph, and folks, it was dancing.

Dayton Dragons hitters looked like they were using a fly swatter trying to hit Serwa’s knuckler, and he kept them off balance all game with a solid mix of fastballs, slurves and his infamous knuckleballs. By my unofficial calculations, Serwa generated a 27% whiff rate on all his pitches, and the Dragons managed just one hard hit ball in 4 innings. When Serwa geared up for a fastball, again with no radar gun available on the broadcast, it appeared to be around 120 mph.

While it was just one game, it looks like the Tigers maybe on to something with Serwa.