LAKELAND, Fla. -- A year ago, Mikie Mahtook arrived at Tiger Town for the first time hoping to win a bench job as a platoon player and avoid a trip to Toledo.
Fortunes can change quickly in baseball.
Mahtook seized a starting job last season and enters 2018 as the Tigers' everyday left fielder. And as the Tigers traded away stars during the winter, Mahtook has emerged as one of the more recognizable, popular and marketable of the remaining players.
In a clubhouse with rapid turnover, Mahtook is practically a veteran with one year under his belt.