"I plan on him being our left fielder, but he needs to still play," Ron Gardenhire told reporters Tuesday at spring training. "He needs to get it done."
Given the everyday job in left last season, Stewart didn't exactly run with it. He provided a couple flashes out of the gates, including the go-ahead homer in an Opening Day win, but looked overmatched at the plate for most of the year. He finished with 10 homers, a .693 OPS and 103 strikeouts over 104 games.
Stewart's minus-1.4 WAR was the worst in the majors among players with at least 400 plate appearances. And that was as much to do with his bat as his glove, something the Tigers didn't see coming.
They'll need to see something else in 2020, especially offensively.
"He's still young, but it's time. He's had some swings up here. Needs to show improvement," Gardenhire said.
Stewart, who converted from catcher to outfielder in his younger days, will never be an asset on defense. The Tigers can live with that, as long as he grows into a legitimate power presence at the plate. He led the Triple-A International League in homers in 2018, the final stamp on an impressive minor league resume. 2019 was a grace year of sorts.
Now it's time to back it up in the bigs.
By all accounts, Stewart knows it. He reported for camp last week looking leaner and stronger, especially in his upper half. He said he took better care of his body, "lifestyle-wise." The job in left is his for now, but Cameron Maybin and Jorge Bonifacio will have a say about that this spring.
So, how can Stewart ensure he's part of the Tigers' future by year's end? He can start by doubling his total in home runs. 20 bombs would be hard too ignore, especially for an organization in search of impact bats. He can further his cause by raising his OPS to somewhere near .750 -- about league average -- and slicing his strikeout rate from about 25 percent to 20.
If he can show some progress in left field along the way, all the better.
But the story for Stewart is on offense, and this year must be different. Another season like the one he had last year, and he won't have a next year to count on.