The Detroit Tigers pulled off a gutsy 6-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, and if you love baseball drama, this one had it all. Let's break down one thing we absolutely loved—and one thing that left us scratching our heads.
One Thing I Loved: Gage Workman's Dream Debut
When you're dealing with a rash of injuries, you need someone to step up from the shadows. Enter Gage Workman, a guy who got the call to join the Tigers in Kansas City on short notice after Kerry Carpenter landed on the 10-day injured list. Workman started Sunday's series finale on the bench, but when Detroit had just surrendered a three-run lead in the top of the sixth, manager A.J. Hinch turned to him as a pinch hitter.
Workman didn't just deliver—he crushed a slider low and inside, pulling it deep to the right-field corner for a two-run go-ahead homer that scored Spencer Torkelson and himself. It was his first MLB home run, and it came in his Tigers debut. Talk about a moment. Workman spent most of his career grinding in the minors with the Tigers organization before debuting with the Chicago Cubs last year, then signing with the White Sox after being designated for assignment. Now he's back in Detroit, and his heroics are exactly the kind of "Wow, didn't expect him to be the hero" moments the Tigers need to salvage what's been an injury-riddled start to 2026.
One Thing I Didn't Love: The ABS Avoidance Question
Sure, the Tigers got the win, but there's a nagging issue: their hitters don't seem to be getting the most out of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system. While the numbers show Detroit is tied for 8th in MLB in terms of total ABS use, NBC's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team—Jason Benetti and Andy Dirks—called out the Tigers for seemingly dodging it during a key moment in the top of the seventh inning.
But here's the real problem: it's not that they're avoiding it—it's that they're not good at it. Entering Sunday, Tigers batters had a success rate of just 44% on their challenges, with 17 teams doing better. That's a stat that needs to improve if Detroit wants to maximize every edge this season. For a team fighting through injuries, every little advantage counts—and the ABS system is one they can't afford to leave on the table.
Bottom line: Workman's homer gave Tigers fans a reason to believe, but the ABS struggles are a reminder that there's still work to do. If Detroit can clean that up, they might just keep surprising us.