Aside from an offensive explosion in the latter half of Game 4, the Detroit Tigers' bats have been painfully quiet during the American League Division Series. They were batting just .218 with a .633 OPS as a team entering the final showdown with the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. Even with Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on the mound, the offense will need to deliver in key moments.
Many fans will understandably focus on Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, 2016 National League Championship Series MVP Javier Baez or Gleyber Torres, but one should not overlook Zach McKinstry. Detroit's utility man was terrific last postseason and earned his first career All-Star selection in 2025. Although he is batting a paltry .174 through seven playoff games this year, he could be an X-factor in Game 5.
McKinstry does not seem too worried about the pressure facing the Tigers in T-Mobile Park. The man is getting in tune with the environment around him, contemplating a flock of seagulls he spotted during the team's bus ride to the stadium.
“They’re just flying,” the former 33rd-round draft pick said, per Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group. “They were meant to fly. I’m a baseball player. I was meant to go out there and play baseball.”
People stress the importance of preparation before a big matchup, and it appears McKinstry is delving deep into philosophy ahead of the most important game of his MLB career so far.
Perhaps his serene, heartfelt outlook on life will translate to the batter's box. For a lineup that struck out 71 times in the first four games of the ALDS, composure is crucial. While seagulls circle the area, Zach McKinstry hopes to have his own powerful experience with the Seattle skies. A Game 5 home run would be a nice way for the 30-year-old to end his zen day in The Emerald City.
