Detroit City Wire

Following a successful rookie season, Colt Keith of the Detroit Tigers has been named the Tigers Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Media Association. The announcement was made on November 19, 2024.

Keith, selected in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft, played a crucial role in leading the Tigers to their first postseason appearance since 2014. Over the course of the season, he achieved a batting line of .260/.309/.380 and led his team with 35 multi-hit games, tying for most among American League rookies. His statistics include 15 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs, and 61 RBIs over 148 games.

Despite a challenging start to his rookie year with a .387 OPS over his initial plate appearances in March and April, Keith's performance improved significantly from May onwards. He ranked fourth among Major League rookies with a .284 batting average and accumulated 118 hits and 178 total bases during that period. Additionally, he placed fifth with 53 RBIs.

In July, Keith was recognized as American League Rookie of the Month after hitting .322/.404/.644 across 25 games. During this time frame, he tied for seventh in home runs among all American League players and ranked ninth in total bases (56) and tenth in slugging percentage.

Keith became only the second Detroit rookie since 1988 to achieve at least 130 hits, more than 30 extra-base hits, and over 60 RBIs in one season. His fWAR of 1.8 is noted as being among the top five for a Tigers rookie since the year 2000.

The Detroit Sports Media Association has been awarding this honor annually since its inception in 1969. Tyler Holton was named Rookie of the Year for his performance in the previous season.