LAKELAND, Fla. -- The setting is a little different, the atmosphere less social, but through three weeks at Tigertown, this much is clear: There’s no great substitution for Spring Training.

The Tigers, like other teams, did their best last year with Summer Camp, setting up workouts and intrasquad games at Comerica Park with the advantage of Statcast technology to help in evaluation. But with a camp that includes veterans trying to win roster spots and prospects trying to learn and develop, all in front of a new coaching staff, workouts on one field -- even in a Major League ballpark -- are rough. Workouts on a four-field complex are a better way to get things done.

So, too, are Grapefruit League games against other teams, even if the rules are relaxed. Yes, ending an inning with less than three outs and runners on base because a pitcher reached his limit is weird. And five-inning games don’t seem great when the drive to the park is longer than the actual game. But compared to the same pitchers and hitters facing one another for two-plus weeks, it’s a better laboratory for progress.

So with the first week of Grapefruit League games complete, here are some things we’ve learned about the Tigers:

Hinch and staff are sweating details
It’s possible manager A.J. Hinch will be answering questions about the Astros’ sign-stealing investigation for the rest of his career. But through two-plus weeks of camp, it’s clear there was more behind Houston’s success than trash cans or loaded rosters. There’s a level of detail with Hinch and his coaching staff that goes beyond what many players in this camp have seen before. That’s not a dig against Ron Gardenhire or his staff, who accomplished a ton to change the mindset in Detroit and force young players to grow up quickly. It’s more a statement of how Hinch and clubs like the Astros and Dodgers (bench coach George Lombard’s previous stop) have put analytics into practice on the field.

Second positions
When Hinch professed his love for positional versatility, he wasn’t just paying lip service. Third base prospect Isaac Paredes is getting starts at second. Top prospect Spencer Torkelson, despite focusing on third base, still gets work at first. Kody Clemens, a second baseman since joining the Tigers’ system, is getting a first-base glove. Harold Castro played all over the infield in the first week. Even backup catching candidate Eric Haase grabbed an outfield glove and played a couple games in left.

Castro’s 2020 season wasn’t a fluke
Plenty of early Spring Training tears over the years have cooled once pitchers start using their full arsenal and sequence their pitches for outs. But Willi Castro is doing more than crushing fastballs in his hot start; he’s hitting just about everything. In the process, he’s making a strong argument that his 2020 numbers (.349/.381/.550 slash line in 36 games) -- .448 BABIP aside -- are the signs of a good hitter.

Skubal is making a statement
As mentioned in the latest Opening Day roster projection, Hinch has pushed the Tigers’ top pitching prospects to perform in camp rather than just assume they have a rotation spot. Tarik Skubal has risen to the challenge, not just based on two solid innings Saturday, but also with the way he has carried himself in this camp.

Paredes is ready to compete
It can be difficult to evaluate hitters in Spring Training who played in winter ball, because their timing at the plate is ahead of players who didn’t. But Paredes, the Mexican Pacific League’s batting champion, looks like the disciplined, confident prospect who had a near-even walk-to-strikeout ratio in the pitcher-friendly Eastern League in 2019. He also responded to Hinch’s invitation to try second base with a double-play turn and diving catch Saturday. Hinch has suggested that Paredes could have a role on the roster even with Jeimer Candelario and Renato Núñez in the mix, and Paredes has taken it as motivation.

‘Tork’ can’t step right into big leagues
Torkelson has been one of the most intriguing names in camp, and his can-opening mishap was a light-hearted moment. But for everyone who asked whether Torkelson could go straight to the Majors, Grapefruit League play has been a reminder just how difficult it is to hit big league pitching. Torkelson ended the week 0-for-8 with three walks and five strikeouts, including two strikeouts and a walk on Sunday. Nobody is worried, though Torkelson has grown visibly frustrated at times. He said last week that he was using the approach of trying to make the team in order to put the work in to become a better player.

Baddoo isn’t overwhelmed
Rule 5 Draft picks are almost facing a hurdle to adjust to the Majors. Akil Baddoo, who hasn’t played a game above Class A ball, also hasn’t played any professional game in nearly two full years. So his 4-for-11, five-walk performance in the first week of games was a big surprise. The 22-year-old looks confident at the plate, athletic and comfortable in the outfield and he might be even better than the Tigers’ scouting reports had him when they took him in the Rule 5 Draft. All this presents Detroit with a potential conundrum: Can it make room for a fifth outfielder and carry one utility infielder? Is Baddoo good enough to be a fourth outfielder?

Tigers have some relief prospects
Zack Hess hasn’t thrown as hard as he did last Summer Camp (97 mph), but he hasn’t been overwhelmed either. Alex Lange has thrown 97 mph in two outings, and has shown a nice breaking ball to go with it. Jason Foley, whose career was halted by Tommy John surgery in 2018, has opened eyes with his fastball back at 98-99 mph and a better breaking ball. None of them will make the team out of camp, but they might not be far off.

Even in small numbers, fans make a big difference
For players who competed in empty ballparks last summer, the return of fans in limited capacities has reminded them what they missed -- not just the crowd noise, but the adrenaline that comes with all eyes on them.

“Man, I’m never going to take fans for granted ever again,” Casey Mize said after his first start of the spring.