Dillon Dingler Built the Foundation Last Year — Now He’s the Tigers’ Cleanup Hitter
Dillon Dingler went from hitting sixth or seventh last year to batting cleanup for AJ Hinch, and he’s already launched five home runs. Tigers play-by-play voice Dan Dickerson says this is exactly how development is supposed to work.
Dillon Dingler is hitting cleanup for the Detroit Tigers, and honestly? It’s been a while since we’ve had a catcher do that around here.
Five home runs already. One to dead center in Boston on a miserable day when most guys would’ve been happy just to make contact. The 26-year-old backstop went from batting sixth, seventh, maybe eighth last season to the four-hole most nights for AJ Hinch. That’s not a fluke — that’s a plan coming together.
Last Year Was the Setup
Dan Dickerson broke it down perfectly: Dingler hit .278 last season with a high line-drive rate. In a league where the average sits at .244, that’s actually impressive. We’ve gotten so obsessed with slugging and exit velo that we forget — batting average still tells part of the story.
That .278 with hard contact everywhere? That was the foundation. Dingler wasn’t just surviving at the plate; he was building something. Learning the zone, learning what he could handle, proving he belonged.
Now He’s Turning and Burning
This year it’s different. Same approach, but now he knows which pitches he can drive. The power we always knew was there is showing up in games. Five homers through the early going, and he’s not selling out for them — they’re coming naturally because he put in the work.
That’s the progression you dream about with a young catcher. Year one: prove you can hit. Year two: add damage. Dingler’s doing exactly that.
A Gold Glove Catcher in the Heart of the Order
Here’s what makes this exciting: Dingler isn’t just a bat. He’s a legitimate defensive catcher — the kind of guy who could win hardware behind the plate. Having that kind of two-way player hitting cleanup? The Tigers haven’t had that in a long time.
Most catchers are either elite defenders who hit seventh or plus bats who are liabilities on defense. Dingler’s looking like both. That’s rare. That’s valuable. And that’s exactly what a team trying to compete needs in the middle of the lineup.
Dickerson said it best: “It’s pretty fun.” Yeah, it is. When your catcher is driving in runs and locking down the pitching staff, that’s the kind of player you build around.
The Takeaways
- Dingler’s .278 average and high line-drive rate last year set the foundation for this breakout
- Five homers already with a cleanup spot most nights — that’s real development
- A Gold Glove-caliber catcher producing in the heart of the order is something Detroit hasn’t had in years
Watch the full segment on YouTube: Detroit Tigers play-by-play Dan Dickerson on Dillon Dingler’s growth at the plate this season 📈
