The Detroit Tigers might not be on the top of the standings, but Niko Goodrum remains a favorite in Motown.

Despite the Tigers’ recent struggles – currently 14-26 and fourth place in the AL Central – there is some talent on that team.

Goodrum is one of the OG veterans on the team. He joined the Tigers in 2018 and has become a mainstay in the D. 

 

 

Our MLB bro is a versatile player who can finesse almost every position on the field. One day you might see him playing right field and the next day he’ll be playing second base.

This season, Goodrum got off to a rocky start at the plate. For the month of April, he hit .191 with an on-base average of .257 and 31 strikeouts.

Those are some numbers that will have fans pulling their hair out. But this is a long season and Goodrum went into May looking to turn things around. There was little doubt that he would get it going. He’s known for wrecking shop when he’s in the zone.  

 

 

On May 1, Goodrum had an impressive performance against the New York Yankees, going 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run and a stolen base. That’s the performance Goodrum needed to turn his slump around. He put together a six-game hitting streak during the early part of May and had two multi-hit performances during that stretch.

This is the player that the team and fans have wanted to see all season and now he’s starting to become the productive player that the team knew he could be. They just needed to let him play his game. 

 

In this past series against the Chicago Cubs, Goodrum was held hitless in three games. But before that series, he was hitting .361 during the month and he has been one of Detroit’s top hitters.

He’s currently batting .230 with 10 RBI and four home runs. He’s also Top 15 in MLB in stolen bases with 6. Tigers’ manager AJ Hinch has been pleased with Goodrum’s performance at the plate and on-base during May.

“It’s great to see him getting on base,” Hinch said of Goodrum in an article from The Detroit News. “He’s on pace to steal a lot more bases.”

Goodrum has also had success being down in the count. When you put the bat on the ball good things happen.

“Some two-strike hits, too, that’s been nice to see,” Hinch said. “He’s making that adjustment. A little while back he started choking up for a little more bat control. He’s understanding more about hitting in lanes and picking pitches he can handle.”

Before Goodrum joined the Tigers, he spent part of the 2017 season with the Minnesota Twins. He only appeared in 11 games that season, recording one hit. The Twins selected Goodrum in the second round of the 2010 MLB draft.

After 2017, Goodrum elected to become a free agent and that’s when Detroit was quick to grab him. He makes things happen between the lines. 

 

 

All he needed was an invitation to the Tigers’ 2018 spring training camp where he put together an impressive performance. 

He hit four home runs during spring training and the Tigers decided to add him to the 25-man opening day roster.

Since then, Goodrum has improved his game and has made a case for himself on why the Tigers should keep him around.

 

 

Look for our MLB bro to continue to swing a hot stick in May and for that to carry on throughout the remainder of the season.

Share This