Fantasy Baseball Year in Review – Detroit Tigers

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  • By Chris Houston

    Last Updated on November 24, 2025 9:35 pm by Anthony Kates | Published: November 24, 2025

    2025 was supposed to be the Tigers’ year in the American League Central, and it was…at first. The club got off to a hot start, taking a 59-38 record, first place in the AL Central, into the All-Star break. But alas, it was not to be, as the team would go on to log a surprising second-place finish in the division at 87-75, just one game back of the eventual winners, the 88-74 Guardians.

    Though the real-life outcome was certainly disappointing for the Tigers, the outcome, in regards to the fantasy viability of its players, was not disappointing for managers. Quality statistical production was no stranger to the roster, as the club even counted the top-ranked starting pitcher in all of baseball among its membership.

    Catcher

    Dillon Dingler, the 2025 American Gold Glove winner at the position, was probably a better real-life baseball player than a fantasy one, but the 27-year-old was pretty good from a fantasy perspective as well, ending the season as the 12th-ranked catcher via the FanGraphs Fantasy Player Rater.

    Initially behind veteran Jake Rogers on the depth chart, Dingler played his way into primary catcher duties, slashing .278/.327/.425 with 13 home runs and a .293 xBA in 469 plate appearances. So, while true that the young catcher was a standout defender, he was also pretty good with the stick.

    Speaking of defense, Dingler’s victory over the Jay’s Alejandro Kirk for the Gold Glove was a bit surprising, as Kirk had a better fielding run value (22), framing (16) and more blocks above average (21) than Dingler. The Tiger’s backstop, however, did well in those areas, too, with a FRV of 12, framing of seven and BAA of 10, all marks within the 90th percentile. In addition, Dingler was more successful at throwing out base runners, with a four caught stealing above average. Though defense does not count in fantasy, good defense can keep a player on the field, even when he is struggling at the plate.

     

    First base

    It was a solid year for Spencer Torkelson, finishing out the season as the 15th-ranked first baseman, per the Fantasy Player Rater. Following an extremely disappointing 2024, which saw the former top-prospect get demoted to Triple-A for a significant number of at-bats, Torkelson regained his 2023 form, slashing .240/.333/.456 with 31 home runs, 82 runs scored and two stolen bases.

    Examining the underlying numbers, Tork still struck out too often, posting a 26% strikeout rate and a 26.9% whiff rate, but he also earned a lot of free passes, producing a 11.1% walk rate, allowing the slugger, despite his swing-and-miss tendencies, to maintain a .789 OPS. If Torkelson can keep his walk rate up, while also returning his hard-hit rate of 45.1% back up to around the 50% he achieved in 2023, he will become an even deadlier power threat in 2026.

    Second base

    Was it “Gleyber Time” in Detroit this year?

    Eh. Kind of?

    Gleyber Torres batted .256/.358/.387 with 16 homers, 79 runs scored, 74 RBI, four steals, a .272 xBA and a .453 xSLG over 628 plate appearances this season. And, while those were not peak-Yankee Gleyber numbers, they were good enough to allow Torres an 11th-place finish in fantasy. Keeping in mind, of course, that second base was a relatively weak position this year for fantasy baseball. Expect Torres, who accepted the club’s $22.025 million qualifying offer on Tuesday, to remain with the Tigers next season, provided the team doesn’t trade him before then.

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    November 24, 2025, 9:35 pm