After a solid run of homegrown catchers from Alex Avila to James McCann, the Detroit Tigers have been waiting for their next backstop for over a decade now. In 2020, they drafted Ohio State catcher Dillon Dingler with the first pick in the second round of the MLB draft. After a strong start to his pro career, Dingler continued to impress with his ever improving defensive abilities and leadership, but his development as a hitter was pretty stagnant. In 2024 he’s finally broken out in a big way at the plate.
With the Tigers facing a trade deadline with one of their two quality catchers, Carson Kelly, bound for free agency and likely to be traded in the next week, everything is coming together for Dillon Dingler at just the right time.