A year later, Avila caught every pitch of Justin Verlander's no-hitter in Toronto, the first pitches of the All-Star Game and nearly every pitch of the Tigers' postseason run, solidifying his role as the regular behind the plate in Detroit.
As Avila heads into the home stretch of the 2015 regular season, his view is increasingly from the dugout while James McCann takes over at catcher. And as his father, Al Avila, settles in as the Tigers' general manager, the younger Avila -- still just 28 -- is pondering a free-agent decision this offseason as a probable part-time catcher in Detroit or pursuing possibilities somewhere else.