It was Colt Keith’s first at-bat in Triple A, an 0-1 count, when he got a pitch low and in, scooped it with the barrel of his bat and sent the ball absolutely flying over the fence.
So much for quelling the hype.
Keith has been riding a rocket ship all year, now firmly established as the Tigers’ best hitting prospect. In the past six weeks, the 21-year-old has hit for a mega-cycle that featured two home runs, been elevated to Triple A and selected to the Futures Game on the same day, then homered in his first plate appearance at the new level.
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Between all that, Keith also celebrated a few nights ago as the Double-A Erie SeaWolves draped the clubhouse in plastic and sprayed champagne around the room. Erie clinched the first-half division title (the Double-A season is split into halves) and thus a spot in the Eastern League postseason.
“It was some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time playing the game,” Keith said on a video call after the SeaWolves clinched. “I haven’t felt like that since I was a kid.”
After his Monday promotion to Triple A, Keith is now knocking loudly on Detroit’s door. He went 3-for-4 with two walks (one intentional) in his Toledo Mud Hens debut. An arrival in Detroit this year is far from a guarantee, but if Keith crushes pitching anything like he did in Double A, he could leave the Tigers little choice.
Back in Double A, Keith hit .325 with 14 home runs, 50 RBI and a .977 OPS over 246 at-bats. He hit .353 against left-handers and .315 against right-handers.
“Colt has been really, really fun to watch all year,” Tigers president Scott Harris said last week. “In many ways, he embodies the offensive approach we’re trying to build around in this organization. He’s swinging at the right pitches. He’s accessing his power almost every night. If you don’t catch yourself, it’s easy to forget that he’s the youngest player on the team and he’s one of the youngest players in all of Double A, and he missed some valuable reps over the course of his young career due to injury.”
Keith was a fifth-round draft pick in 2020, an Arizona State commit who decided to skip college in favor of a chance in the pros. Back then, evaluators viewed Keith as a high-upside player. Some teams had even considered drafting him as a pitcher or two-way player.
But to this point, Keith’s development has been close to a best-case scenario for an organization that has struggled mightily to produce homegrown hitters.
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Keith has always shown an advanced approach and good contact skills. But over the past two years — despite missing nearly four months with a shoulder injury last season — he has unlocked his swing and found ways to lean into his power from the left side. He has increased both his percentage of balls in the air and balls hit to the pull side since last season.
He also bulked up to the point he became arguably too big. This past offseason, he cut weight and worked with a track coach to improve his quickness in the field.
Keith will have to prove he can hit more crafty Triple-A pitching, but all indications show he is a legitimate hitting prospect more than capable of doing so.
Keith — who was left off some top-100 prospect lists at the start of the year — was one of the highest risers on MLB Pipeline’s latest Top 100, jumping 37 spots from No. 80 to No. 43. Safe to say Tigers officials will be watching his every move in Toledo closely.
“He’s crushed in Double A, so there’s no more challenge for him there,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “We’re all kept aware here of what’s going on. Certainly, when you get into that next step, he’s even more on the radar than ever. He’s got a lot to work on on the defensive side, base-running side and facing a different style of pitching will be new for him. We’re all rooting for him. He made a great impression this spring, and he’s off to a good start.”
Defense will remain the biggest question in Keith’s development. He played 41 games at third base and six at second in Erie and made subtle improvements in the field over the past three months. He started Wednesday night at second base for Toledo, and though he’s not expected to play outfield right away at Triple A, such a move could remain on the table.
But based on recent events, Keith has validated a belief long held by former Tigers manager Jim Leyland: If you can hit, they’ll find a place for you.
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If he keeps hitting like this, he could have a place in Detroit sooner than anyone expected before the season.
(Top photo: Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)
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