After slashing strikeouts and simplifying his swing in Toledo, the former fourth-round pick returns to Detroit. His elite athleticism and newfound plate discipline could finally solidify his infield future.
Gage Workman is getting another chance with the Detroit Tigers, and this one comes under better circumstances than the last time he tried to stick in the majors.
The Tigers are calling up Workman after a strong stretch at Triple-A Toledo, where he has done more than simply get hot for a few weeks. Workman entered the promotion hitting .358 with a 1.003 OPS, four home runs, 28 RBI and 12 stolen bases for the Mud Hens. Those numbers made him difficult to ignore, especially for a Detroit roster that could use another athletic defender with some offensive upside. Kerry Carpenter will be on the IL with a left AC joint sprain.
Credit to @bythewaybro on "X" for reporting this first.
Workman has always had tools. He is 6-foot-4, can defend on the left side of the infield, has power, runs well enough to add value and brings some roster flexibility. The issue has been contact. The swing-and-miss followed him through the Tigers’ system and made it fair to wonder whether the rest of the profile would play enough against better pitching.
But the numbers in Toledo are good. Workman’s strikeout rate is down to 23.3%, a major drop from where it was a year ago. Joe Rampe mentioned this earlier this morning.
It also connects back to something we covered at Tigers Minor League Report last season. Workman was once a switch-hitter, but he eventually dropped that and began hitting left-handed full time. The Tigers also worked with him to simplify the swing, including moving away from the leg kick. For a hitter with power but too much swing-and-miss, that kind of simplification can matter. Fewer moving parts can give him a better chance to be on time and make more consistent contact.
The early Triple-A numbers suggest that change has helped.
Workman is still doing damage when he makes contact. His Prospect Savant page shows a 16.5% barrel rate, 57.7% hard-hit rate, 93.8 mph average exit velocity and 115 mph max exit velocity. Those numbers are important because they show the contact improvement has not come at the cost of impact. He is not just putting more balls in play. He is still hitting the ball hard..
The Cubs saw enough in him to take a chance during the Rule 5 Draft, and that made sense at the time. Workman’s 2024 season showed enough power, athleticism, speed and defensive value for another organization to see if he could fit on a major league roster but the strikeouts were too much that he was flipped to the White Sox before returning to the Tigers late last season.
The timing also puts Workman in a visible spot. The Tigers are scheduled for Sunday Night Baseball against Kansas City, so his first opportunity back with Detroit could come with a national audience watching. Workman is expected to replace Carpenter on the roster, and while his primary value has come on the infield, his athleticism could allow the Tigers to get him some time in the outfield if needed.
The Tigers need a spark, something, before they head to New York to play the Mets.