Akil Baddoo and the Tigers are facing tall orders this spring. Neither is fazed. The 23-year-old Baddoo is ready to replace the injured Riley Greene in center field, and the up-and-coming Tigers are eager to run a gauntlet of World Series contenders in the first month and a half of the season.
Baddoo will be Detroit's starting center fielder on Opening Day against the White Sox, a position where he played often last season but didn't always play well.
"I’ve been playing center field all my career in minor league ball, so it’s nothing new," Baddoo said Tuesday on the Stoney & Jansen Show. "It’s just being familiar with the big outfield that we have at Comerica and working with the outfield coaches on pre-pitch (positioning) and first step. I’ll be fine out there."
Baddoo logged the majority of his innings in center last season, but the metrics, over an admittedly small sample, liked his play better in left. That's where he was slated to start this season before the Tigers lost Greene for the next couple months to a fractured foot. Baddoo said he's "praying for him to get healthy soon so he can get back on the field and produce and be that Riley Greene that he’s always been." Until then, Baddoo is ready to get after it in center.
He worked frequently this spring with bench coach George Lombard on getting better jumps on the ball. He said he plans to play a little shallower this season because "we were below average (last season) in our first step on balls in front of us." In such a big outfield at home, he knows he always has room -- and the necessary speed -- to retreat.
"It’s a lot of things I’ve been working on in the offseason and it’s been going well, so I’m looking forward to it. And like I said, I’ve been playing center field since I was eight years old," said Baddoo.
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Starting with six games against the White Sox and Red Sox, followed shortly thereafter by three with the Yankees, nine of the Tigers' first 13 games come against playoff teams from last season. And 24 of their first 39 come against teams that finished above .500, including visits to the Dodgers, Astros and Rays. This early slate might be daunting had the Tigers not played so well against baseball's best last season. They went 19-18 against division winners and 28-25 against playoff teams.
"It’s the same thing we harped on last year: just trying to win each game to win a series. We don’t care if it’s the Red Sox or the Yankees or any team. We just gotta have that same goal of, we’re better than them and we’re trying to win games, and continue to have that confidence and lean on our manager," said Baddoo. "We’re all bought in, so we got a good squad and we’re looking forward to it."
Detroit's pitching staff will be aided by the arrivals of Eduardo Rodriguez and catcher Tucker Barnhart. Its lineup will be bolstered by Javier Baez, Spencer Torkelson, Austin Meadows and, eventually, the addition of Greene, who may have been the Tigers' best player in camp. Baddoo said Baez, a two-time All-Star, NLCS MVP and World Series champ, is quickly growing into a leadership role in his new surroundings.
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"When we’re in practice he continues to take control and voices his opinion on how we should approach things on defense or offense. Having that guy over here who has a World Series and has been around a winning atmosphere and knows what it takes, it’s always cool to see what he has to say and seeing him take control and kind of direct everything," said Baddoo.
And if Baez likes to strut here and there, so be it. He's earned the right over eight big-league seasons in which he's also claimed a Gold Glove (2020) and a Silver Slugger award (2018).
"I would say if he’s on your team, he’s the best. And if he’s not on your team, you probably don’t like him," Baddoo said with a laugh. "And that’s the way it should be. We love him over here and we’re glad we got him."
As for any advice he might be offering Torkelson, the 22-year-old former first overall pick who will make his big league debut on Opening Day, Baddoo has kept things simple.
"I was just telling him it’s the same game, so don’t lose your identity. Continue to be yourself and just have fun and let everything else take care of itself. So he’s going to do that," said Baddoo. "Spencer Torkelson is a beast. His IQ, his ability to hit the ball, he’s going to be great.
"I’m looking forward to seeing what he can bring to our team and helping us go deep in the playoffs. That’s our only goal, to win a championship."