Detroit — Zach McKinstry has rapidly become the poster boy for the Tigers’ new offensive profile.
The versatile 28-year-old, whom the Tigers acquired from the Dodgers for minor-league pitcher Carlos Guzman two days before the season opener, is the embodiment of what president Scott Harris and manager AJ Hinch have preached from Day One. He’s controlled the strike zone. He’s put the ball in play. He’s gotten on base. He’s done damage. He’s put pressure on opposing defenses.
“It’s a good feeling, if that’s what they are preaching,” McKinstry said before the game Sunday. “You want to get on base for those guys that have the God-given ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark. It’s good to give them opportunities to hit with guys on base.”
All of that was on display in the Tigers’ rousing 7-3 win over the White Sox Saturday. McKinstry singled, doubled and hit a clutch home run to trigger a game-turning, three-run seventh inning. He also contributed a sacrifice fly and a stolen base.
Entering play Sunday, the Tigers’ leadoff hitter was hitting .291 with a .410 on-base percentage and a 141 OPS-plus in 43 games. His strikeout rate is low (18%) and his walk rate is high (16%). He’s scored 22 runs and knocked in 10. He’s stolen eight bases in nine attempts.
Useful player, no?
“I think it’s important to point out, the pitch he hit off (White Sox reliever Joe) Kelly, he was not trying to draw a walk,” Hinch said. “Sometimes, we mistake on-base percentage with a lack of aggression. What on-base percentage tells me about a player is they know the strike zone. They know what they are swinging at and what they should swing at.
“Zach has demonstrated for a month now that he knows exactly where the strike zone is.”
He’s been on base 25 times in the last 11 games. Over that span, he slashed .355/.543/.581, scoring nine runs and knocking in four. He’s been on base 34 times in his last 67 plate appearances.
“It’s kind of how I feel when I’ve played consistently throughout my career,” McKinstry said. “It’s kind of the approach I fade towards. When you look at the back of my card, that’s who I am. I just try to ride that approach, keep having good at-bats and put the ball in play.”
Hinch will point out that it all starts with controlling the strike zone, aggressively.
“We have to be careful not to dial-in on walks as the result you are chasing — no pun intended,” Hinch said. “I shouldn’t even use that word, ‘chase.’ You’re not trying to walk. You are trying to be so selective that the walk is a byproduct. That’s what I smile about.”
Over the last four games, the Tigers have drawn 22 walks and struck out 20 times. That’s a wonderful ratio. But, not necessarily the goal.
“The volume of walks (is) going to be a little random,” he said.
For example, against the White Sox, they drew seven walks against Lucas Giolito and five against Lance Lynn. Credit the Tigers’ hitters for not chasing pitches, but those were outlier performances by two veteran and accomplished pitchers.
“I am happy that our guys are dialing in on an approach daily that we need against a certain pitcher,” Hinch said. “If it’s someone who is predisposed to walking guys, that strike zone needs to get even smaller, so you can put pressure on him to throw more strikes.
“The walk rate is a good long-term view of it. Day-to-day, if we don’t walk five, six, seven times like we have recently, that’s not a fail. It’s the pitches you are swinging at that we’re trying to lock-in on.”
McKinstry has gotten the memo. Asked what it means to him when he draws a walk, he smiled and said, “It means that I missed the fastball.”
He continued.
“It’s a good thing to have in the back pocket, being able to get on first base for the guys behind you. But at the end of the day, we’re trying to put the ball in play. You can see in the pitcher’s eyes, you know, he’s nibbling and you’re fighting off those pitches. Eventually he’s going to come into the zone and you will be able to hit a mistake.
“Or, he’s going to go out of the zone and you take your base.”
Twitter: @cmccosky