Dingler's Late Bloom: Tigers' Catcher Turns Prospect into Star

0:00It's April 23rd. This is MLB News Today, AI-powered stories from around the league. I'm Cory with the story. Dylan Dingler went from a second round pick in 2020 to a guy folks thought might top out as a backup catcher for the Tigers. High strikeouts in the minors had everyone worried about his bat, dropping him in prospect rankings year after year. But nowadays 27, he's flipped the script with elite defense and solid power, turning into a cornerstone for Detroit. Early on, AA in 2022 showed a 31.9% strikeout rate, way above average, and AAA the next year wasn't. Much better at 31.2%. Prospects like baseball America and fan graphs slid him down their lists, giving him just a 40-future value grade. Then 2024 hit, and in AAA he slashed his strikeouts to 20.3% over 301 played appearances. Mashing 17 homers with a 145-weighted runs, created plus.

1:00That breakout carried to the majors when an injury opened the door. Dingler played 126 games, snagged the American league gold glove at catcher, ranked top 10 in framing, throwing, and blocking. His offense held up to, with a 23.5% strikeout rate, 14 homers and a 109-weighted runs created plus, proving he could hang behind the plate and add it. This year, in 2026, through 83 played appearances, he's even sharper, striking out just 16.9% while walking. Six percent and posting a 145-weighted runs created plus. Contact rates jumped from 67.8% in AA to 78.5 now, and his exit velocity sits in the 84th. Percentile. Fan graphs credits him with five wins above replacement already, trailing only a couple catchers since last year. Players rise, bolsters the Tigers' core, with guys like Kevin McGonagall, through 2034, and Max Clark, nearing the show, plus a clean payroll.

2:04For pitching fixes ahead, whether they extend him early or ride his control through age 31, he's the kind of late bloomer-making Detroit's future looks stacked.