The Tigers are currently gasping for air with one final attempt to revive their season, one that was entered with World Series aspirations. They are 12-9 in June, although above .500 in the month, a 6-22 May leads them to be 34-47 on the season. The rough stretch was marred by injuries to notable players such as Gleyber Torres, Parker Meadows, Javier Baez, and Brant Hurter, who all have yet to return. (Gleyber Torres returned for two weeks before re-injuring his left oblique). Two-time reigning Cy Young award winner, Tarik Skubal, missed over a month of time due to injury, but he is back now, and so are Troy Melton, Kerry Carpenter, and Casey Mize.
With key players returning, the Tigers should be able to get their show back on wheels, if it were only that simple. The injury bug may have caught half the starting lineup and a sizable chunk of the pitching staff, but the underproduction from the bats played as much of a contributing factor to the demise of the team as the loss of hurt players.
One source of run production that is used by Tigers manager, AJ Hinch, is the use of pinch-hitting. Part of the roster construction is for the use of platoon bats. Left-handed batters like Kerry Carpenter and Colt Keith primarily face right-handed pitching. On the other side of the plate, Jahmai Jones predominantly faces left-handed pitching. In the last two seasons, the Tigers made it all the way to Game 5 of the American League Division Series through the art of pinch-hitting. In 2024, the team hit .231 pinch-hitting in 156 at-bats, and excelled with a .242 batting average in 182 at bats the following year. The Tigers were third in the league in pinch-hit at-bats in 2024, five behind the league-leading Boston Red Sox. In 2025, they led all of Major League Baseball in pinch-hit at-bats, with second place being 34 at-bats shy of Detroit. In 2024, the league average batting average for pinch-hitters was .209, and .213 in 2025, far below the clip the Tigers achieved.
A different story is unwrapping in 2026. The Tigers still lead the league in pinch-hit at-bats, with 104 at-bats. Trailing are the Chicago White Sox, with 89 at-bats. The quantity isn’t the issue, but the quality is. In those 104 at-bats, the Tigers have hit safely 14 times, which ranks eleventh in Major League Baseball. That’s right. The Tigers lead the league in pinch-hit at-bats, but are eleventh in hits coming straight off the bench. That is a .135 batting average, not even close to the league average of .203.
Is the problem the amount of pinch-hit at-bats, or the production the Tigers are getting from those at-bats? For the sake of argument, let’s focus on the quality of at-bats rather than the philosophy. There’s no need for AJ Hinch to change course halfway through his sixth season as manager, especially because he isn’t the one batting. From a numbers standpoint, platoon batters Colt Keith, Kerry Carpenter, Jahmai Jones, and Matt Vierling combined have a .266 career batting average facing the opposite hand, compared to a .230 batting average and less slug versus a pitcher of the same handedness.
The Tigers are currently lacking a right-handed batter to come off the bench and get on base. Matt Vierling has hit well against southpaws this year, producing an .822 OPS, but has a .469 OPS against righties. He normally is the Tigers’ fourth outfielder and is reliable off the bench, but he’s been the primary centerfield due to injuries to Parker Meadows and Javier Baez that have kept them sidelined for two months now. The other right-handed platoon bat is Jahmai Jones, who has had a rough year, including boos heard all around Comerica Park. Jahmai Jones was promoted to Detroit last June, with Andy Ibanez being demoted to Triple-A Toledo. From thereon, Jones raked against lefties, triple-slashing .288/.393/.577 against them, and hitting seven home runs. In 2026, it’s been a different story. His triple slash against lefties is .162/.253/.270, with only two home runs and a strikeout rate of 32%. Against righties, he only has one hit in 17 at-bats along with eight punch-outs. Jones has essentially been banished from playing in the outfield as well, playing just 22 innings thus far. Something to keep an eye on is that Jahmai Jones has been given a much longer leash than Andy Ibanez. Andy Ibanez sported a .612 OPS prior to his demotion to Toledo after 64 games. Jahmai Jones has made it to the midway point of the season with a .451 OPS. How much more patience does Scott Harris have?
What does this all lead to? Jahmai Jones doesn’t have any minor league options left, so if the Tigers were to move on from him, he would have to be designated for assignment. But who would you promote in his place? Enter Corey Julks. The Tigers signed the 30-year-old outfielder to a minor league contract worth $875,000 if he makes the big league roster back in January. Julks was selected in the eighth round out of the University of Houston by the Houston Astros in 2017. He made his debut in 2023 with the Astros, and struggled in 93 games, hitting only six home runs and putting together an OPS+ of .650. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox the following May, where he triple slashed .216/.272/.314 in two seasons in the Windy City. In 2026, Corey Julks has hit very well for the Toledo Mud Hens. He is currently hitting an even .300 in 60 games for the Mud Hens with 13 home runs. He only strikes out 22.5% of the time and carries a walk rate of 11.5%. Julks is pretty well-rounded when it comes to pitch type. He does exceptionally well against sinkers and curveballs. His only flaw in terms of pitch type is against splitters. The biggest appeal to Corey Julks is his ability to hit left-handed pitching. He’s hit four home runs in 52 at-bats against lefties and showcased a .986 OPS as well, fueled by his .327 batting average with power. Julks may not be completely tied down to lefties, as he is slugging .500 against right-handed pitching.
Corey Julks was signed in the offseason as a high-tier depth option for the Tigers. Right now is a time of desperation for Tigers baseball, and Julks can provide a new look to the pinch-hitting and platoon roles that have seen better days. His average defense is a bonus, adding an extra fielding option to AJ Hinch’s repertoire. Who knows whether or not Corey Julks can translate his power numbers from the International League to the Major Leagues, but he gives the Tigers an option to possibly plug up a big hole in their platoon machine.
Rogelio Castillo 
Jerry McKennan