Playing chess: Hinch chooses Ibáñez to lead off
Wanting to maximize at-bats vs. White Sox starter Crochet
CHICAGO – Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had to make a decision when filling out the Opening Day lineup card.
He had to pick between Andy Ibáñez and Gio Urshela, a pair of right-handed hitters who perform best against left-handed pitchers, to start at third base against Chicago White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet.
Hinch picked Ibáñez.
“These are decisions that come up,” Hinch said of Ibáñez and Urshela. “Andy is certainly deserving. Gio is deserving, as well, for a lot of reasons. Two good decisions. I just made done.”
Hinch also decided to put Ibáñez, a righthanded hitter, as the leadoff hitter, and sat lefthanded slugger Kerry Carpenter to start the game.
That’s because he wants Ibáñez to get as many plate appearances as possible against Crochet. In 2023, Ibáñez had a .939 OPS against left-handed pitchers in his final 87 games.
This is the way Hinch plays chess. He capitalizes on the strengths of his players.
“Andy has been really good against lefthanded pitching,” Hinch said. “He’s going to play virtually every game against lefties, and he’s going to mix in against some righties. I told Gio to be ready, as soon as early in the game, to pinch-hit for a variety of guys, and then potentially come in for defense.”
Hinch also thinks about the potential countermoves.
That’s why he put Spencer Torkelson in the two-hole, ahead of Riley Greene. Putting Ibáñez and Torkelson ahead of Greene means two right-handed hitters at the top of the lineup before the first left-handed hitter in Greene.
“If they want to bring Crochet through to Greene (a second or third time), they have to go through Andy and Tork to get there,” Hinch said. “It’s something I’ve toyed with this spring. I know that most teams target Riley as a guy that they’re going to either leave their starter in to face or they’re going to target with their bullpen, so this gives them something to think about.”
Still, Hinch left Urshela — who had a .868 OPS against lefties last season — on the bench against a lefty starter.
Crochet threw 80 pitches in his final spring training game.
Carpenter, a left-hander who hits for power, hit .278 with 20 home runs in 118 games last season, but he struggled against left-handed pitchers. He posted a .841 OPS against righties and a .657 OPS against lefties.
The Tigers’ starting lineup in Game 1 of 162: Andy Ibáñez (3B), Spencer Torkelson (1B), Riley Greene (LF), Mark Canha (DH), Matt Vierling (RF), Colt Keith (2B), Jake Rogers (C), Javier Báez (SS), Parker Meadows (CF).
“Going into a season, you have no idea how they’re going to deploy their people,” Hinch said. “Crochet is built up to whatever they want him to be built up to, especially with the off day tomorrow. They can leave him in as long as they want, or they can pull him early and turn it into a bullpen game with a free off day tomorrow. There’s a little bit of curiosity on that.
“But I felt like the defense in the outfield was important, getting Andy as many looks at Crochet was also key, which is why he’s at the top of the order and playing third. We had a lot of choices. It’s a fun lineup to write. I feel good with this one.”