SEATTLE — The most dangerous hitter in the Detroit Tigers lineup has never hit 30 homers, driven in 70 runs or made an All-Star team. Injuries and left-handed pitchers have kept Kerry Carpenter from elite statistical thresholds and acclaim. But don’t do what the Seattle Mariners did in Game 1 of the ALDS: overlook him.
Carpenter is a career .507 slugger who mashes high fastballs. This year he slugged .571 against high fastballs (at least 33 inches off the ground), the 12th best mark among hitters who saw at least 350 such heaters—ahead of Shohei Ohtani, Jose Ramirez and Cal Raleigh.
