Although the Detroit Tigers are still well below .500 as we near the All-Star break, they will send three players to the Midsummer classic. In spite of a difficult season, the best Tigers players have impressed during the first half, from a player with a strong Rookie of the Year case, to arguably the best catcher in baseball, and of course a pitcher who seems to be able to do it all.
The Best Tigers Players From the First Half
Dillon Dingler
The third-year backstop is going from strength to strength, despite the lack of limelight in 2026. Entering play on Wednesday July 8, Dingler has swatted 19 home runs, and driven in 60 runs already for a team that has won just 41 games. He was valued for his defense, framing, and throwing for his first two seasons in MLB, but Dingler has unlocked a new threat with his bat. Luckily Dingler is holding steady with his defensive work, being successful with 70.6% of his ABS challenges on defense. His 48 successfully challenges are the fifth-most in MLB.
While Dingler will be representing Detroit at the All-Star game, it’s strange that he won’t be the starter. Shea Langeliers will start for the American League, despite the fact he has a lower ABS challenge rate and fewer total wins than Dingler. Langeliers is known for his offensive prowess, and has indeed slugged one more homer than the Detroit man, but he’s driven in 15 fewer runs, and has posted 1.7 fewer WAR. So, Dingler is clearly one of the best catchers in baseball, not just one of the best Tigers players.
Kevin McGonigle
The rookie infielder has really turned heads in the first half, and should finish very high up in the Rookie of the Year voting. Along with Dingler, McGonigle is easily one of the best Tigers players and ranks well compared with the rest of the league. Entering play on July 8, McGonigle has put up 4.88 WAR, which is the most by a first-year player in 2026. The next two names on that list are JJ Wetherholt and Pedro Pages, with 4.1 each. Although it’s tough for pitchers to put up the same WAR as a position players, for context Jacob Misiorowski sits at an even 4.0 WAR.
Kevin McGonigle has reached base 2+ times in 53 games this season.
Only Nick Kurtz has done it more. pic.twitter.com/sJFjlzR3JT
— Tigers Data (@TigersData) July 8, 2026
McGonigle looked very comfortable with the big team in spring training, and there was little surprise to see him make the opening day roster. The surprising part has been how comfortable he continues to look in MLB. He’s hit lead-off for almost the entire year and has done a fantastic job of setting the table for Detroit. In the July 7 win over the Athletics, Kevin McGonigle reached base safely three different times, his 53rd such a game in 2026. That beat a mark set by Aaron Judge in 2017 for the most such games by a rookie before the All-Star break. Just like with Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle has been one of the best Tigers players, and also one of the best in the AL. He will also represent Detroit in this year’s All-Star game.
Riley Greene
The final Tiger who is going to the Midsummer classic in Philadelphia is Greene, who feels like a veteran at this point despite being 26 years old. This will be his third All-Star game, although the strengths that got him there are a bit different this season than in years past. Greene has struck out at a very high rate for most of his career, opting to try and swing for the fences very often with mixed results. For example, he lead the league in strikeouts last season with 201, but was able to hit 36 home runs and drive in 111. This season, the power and strikeouts numbers have dropped, but his batting average, on base, and slug are all up.
The results have been overall pretty consistent with his career numbers as Greene has been one of the best Tigers players by putting up 2.0 WAR in the first half. For context, his second half slump last season dragged his total WAR down to 2.2 in 2025.
Casey Mize
The forgotten man of the Detroit rotation, but he has easily been one of the best Tigers players in 2026, and perhaps their best starter. Mize’s season has been punctuated by two different stints on the IL, yet has still collected 2.7 WAR. His swing and miss stuff has been good, with 72 strikeouts in 71.2 innings pitched, and Mize has held batters to a stellar .977 WHIP. Just like Tarik Skubal, this is a contract year for Casey Mize and he is certainly pitching like it. Just like with the Tigers Ace, there is plenty of speculation that Mize will be traded before the deadline due to how far back Detroit is in the standings.
If Scott Harris and company decide to sell, they should be able to get quite a haul for Mize on his own. Although there will be plenty of fans who will argue for keeping the starter, as he is much more likely to sign in Detroit this winter as a free agent. Regardless of where he pitches next season, Casey Mize has certainly been one of the best Tigers players so far in 2026.
Keider Montero
Rounding out the list is another pitcher who has posted 2.7 WAR in the first half in the form of Keider Montero. The Venezuela national has done it in a different way from Mize, and has shown some impressive versatility for Detroit. Montero has thrown 92.2 innings between his 15 starts and three relief appearances, but has only struck out 59 batters. Montero has instead focused on getting batters to swing and make weak contact to get outs and to preserve his pitch count. His minute .971 WHIP proves that he has been very successful this season.
With the Tigers having a glut of starting pitching this season, Montero was recently sent to the bullpen. That sounds strange for such an effective starter to get bumped, but with Mize, Skubal, Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty and Troy Melton on the team, Montero was actually the natural candidate to drop to the ‘pen. With three of those other names being on expiring contracts, we may very well see Montero rejoin the rotation after the trade deadline.
Main Photo: David Frerker- Imagn Images
