Red-hot Ibáñez forcing his way into Tigers' lineup

CLEVELAND -- The Tigers’ hockey-themed home-run celebration finally got to Andy Ibáñez on Monday. He knows very little about hockey, but he relished it.

“I never played hockey,” he said in English, adding through translator Carlos Guillen that he knows nothing about the sport.

Still, Ibáñez said of the ill-fitting helmet, “It feels pretty good.”

The Tigers’ sixth win in seven games, a 6-2 triumph over the Guardians at Progressive Field, undoubtedly helps. Still, with the way Ibáñez is hitting after an 0-for-10 start, and the playing time he’s getting as a result, he has every right to feel great right now.

“He’s playing virtually every day, and he’s contributing,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “I think everybody’s embraced him. I know the first 10 at-bats weren’t great, but I applaud him for staying in there mentally and physically, putting up really good at-bats and really sparking us.”

Ibáñez’s 399-foot drive to the left-field plaza at Progressive Field flashed the kind of power that observers have seen in him since his 20-homer season at Double-A Nashville in the Rangers' system in 2019. He showed glimpses of it in Texas, but couldn’t sustain it enough to hold a roster spot. The Tigers took a flier on him in November believing they might tap into that power, but had seen more of his pure hitting this year.

With the way Ibáñez has been swinging the bat lately, going 9-for-17 over his past six games, the power is a bonus. Instead of having to sell out for power, his at-bats are setting him up for pitches to mash.

“When you’re making good decisions at the plate, you’re swinging at better pitches,” Hinch said. “You swing at better pitches, then you can hit the ball harder and the ball’s going to carry if you’re just underneath it. One thing leads to another when you start making good decisions.”

Ibáñez credits the steady diet of playing time he’s getting with helping him put together good at-bats. But there’s another good decision he’s making before he even steps out of the dugout.

“One of the things that has helped me,” he said, “is that since the beginning of the game, I'm always close to home plate in the dugout, just watching the pitches and following the sequences to see what the other pitcher is doing. Sometimes, some players tell me, 'Hey, come on, hang with us in the back of the dugout.' No, I always stay on top of the dugout. I want to see the pitcher.”

Though Guardians rookie right-hander Tanner Bibee hadn’t faced the Tigers before -- Monday marked just his third Major League start -- Ibáñez had seen him already. Bibee’s final start for Triple-A Columbus before his callup came against the Toledo Mud Hens. Ibáñez went 0-for-2 against him that night, but drew a walk.

Ibáñez drew another walk off Bibee on Monday, reaching base to lead off the fourth inning before scoring on Riley Greene's double. It came an inning after his hardest-hit ball of the year, a 107.3 mph line drive to right-center for a single to lead off a three-run third inning that put Detroit in front for good.

The Tigers didn’t just score more runs against Bibee (four) than he had allowed in his previous two starts combined (three). They also ruined his 13-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio by picking up more free passes (four) than strikeouts (two). They continued the strong plate approach that has helped turn around their offense over the last week and a half.

Still, when Ibáñez came back up to lead off the sixth inning, he stepped in ready to hit. Eli Morgan’s first-pitch 92 mph fastball, intended for the outside corner but left over the middle of the plate, was ready for Ibáñez to crush. His 104 mph line drive easily cleared the high wall in left.

It was Ibáñez's first home run in the Majors since April 22, 2022, for Texas. He was still an everyday player for the Rangers back then. The more he hits, the more he forces Hinch to find a spot for him now, against lefties and righties alike.

“I'm grateful for receiving the opportunity to play on a daily basis,” Ibáñez said. “But also, it's the result of hard work. Every time I go out to the field, I give 100 percent of myself. That's who I am, so that's what you see on the field.”