The smile grew wider on Akil Baddoo’s face as the numbers became harder to believe. What would the Rule 5 pick have said in March if you told him he’d be doing this in June? That he’d have an average of .270, an OPS of .857 and a spot in the middle of the Tigers’ lineup?
“Anything can happen. That’s what that really is,” Baddoo said Tuesday night. “Be ready when your time comes.”
Baddoo’s time came in April, and the rookie was ready. Then his time ended; he could only ambush pitchers for so long. He fell into a 5-50 slump that stretched into May. That was the hitter who hadn’t advanced past A-ball before this season. That was the prospect the Twins let go.
And maybe this is the player the Tigers have discovered. As he nears the midway point of his first big-league season, maybe Baddoo’s time is just getting started. He’s hitting again like he was early on, only with fewer strikeouts and longer at-bats. He’s regained the upper hand in the game of adjustments.
After another good day at the plate in Wednesday’s win over the Cardinals, Baddoo is batting .351 with a .971 OPS over his last 30 games. Most of that damage has come against righties, but A.J. Hinch has begun to play him against lefties. Hinch has also moved him up in the order. Baddoo reached base six times in the five spot in a pair of wins over the Angels and Cardinals, then turned around and bat leadoff for the first time in his career Wednesday. He reached base twice, drove in a run and scored another.
“He’s shown he can handle big at-bats,” said Hinch. “He’s shown that he can handle the strike zone. Every player will go through a rut where they’re swinging a little bit more. When a young player does it, we don’t have to overreact. We just have to peel back some of the pressure that’s on him. When he consistently shows he’s in control of his at-bats, as he has in the last month, it’s easy for me to put him at the top of order.”
From the start of spring training, Hinch put Baddoo to the test. The 22-year-old responded by making the team and then rewriting the record books. When baseball knocked him down, as we knew it would, Hinch let Baddoo feel it – before putting him in spots to get back up. This is Baddoo’s story, but Hinch is helping him write it.
“I think all of our coaches have done a really good job with our young players of just continuing to stay positive and throwing things at them as each player is ready. Akil has responded very favorably,” Hinch said. “He’s looked more and more comfortable as the season’s gone along, so we’ve given him a little bit longer leash. We’ve moved him in the order and he’s continuing to respond. That’s been fun to see.
“He’s an incredibly talented player. Our job is to provide an environment for him and some challenges that allow (his talent) to flourish.”
Baddoo’s revival at the plate can’t be overstated. It’s more like an evolution, condensed into a couple months: four walks and 35 strikeouts through May 8, 20 walks and 19 strikeouts since. He’s quadrupled his walk rate and sliced his strikeout rate in half. This is what Hinch is talking about when he says Baddoo’s in control of his at-bats. He’s not giving them away. He’s now seeing 4.2 pitches per plate appearance, which would set a franchise rookie record.
“He’s grown up a lot,” said veteran Jonathan Schoop. “Had his hot streak, the league caught up to him and then he made adjustments and he’s back up. That’s what good players do, they learn and make adjustments. He’s matured a lot. When he’s up there he knows what he’s doing.”
Most players get to make adjustments in Double-A and Triple-A before facing the glare of the big leagues. Baddoo never had that luxury, and maybe for the best. He’s growing up because he had to. He shrugged off the notion that he lost development time in his jump to the majors.
“No, not really,” he said. “I feel like I’m right where I belong.”
Baddoo has a way about him, soft-spoken but direct, calm but confident. His swagger’s in his smile, and his walk-up music – Still D.R.E. – and the helmet that flies off his head as he runs the bases. Rule-5 picks are often forced to be big-leaguers, but for Baddoo it looks natural. His ease enables success, which begets more ease. The Tigers might have something here.
“I’m just playing relaxed and having fun,” he said. “That’s what lets my abilities and my athleticism take over.”
The Tigers might have an All-Star. Who better to represent Detroit this year than Baddoo? They might even have a Rookie of the Year. Baddoo ranks third among AL rookies in OPS and average and he’s tied for second in FanGraphs’ all-encompassing offensive metric. The award belongs to Rangers slugger Adolis Garcia for now, but a lot can change in the second half of the season. Garcia and Baddoo are already trending in different directions.
Beyond that, the Tigers might have a pillar of their rebuild. They might have a magnetic, athletic outfielder who can hit in the top half of the order for a long time to come. Fans are already wearing his No. 60 jersey around Comerica Park. The Tigers might have a face of their future. This might be the real Akil Badooo.
“I hope so,” said Hinch. “This is all new for him and for us. We’re learning him more and more every day and starting to see improvements. All you ask out of players is to make adjustments along the way and give us the best version of themselves, and he continues to do that. I will sprinkle in different challenges here and there and try to make him uncomfortable. These are all growth opportunities for him. The more he responds, the more it becomes a reality.”
What the Tigers no longer have, as June turns into July, is an experiment. Baddoo is much more than he was when the season began.
“He knows he’s a big leaguer now,” said Hinch. “I think the Rule 5 portion of describing him can be put in the past.”