Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

New Tigers Player Rivals Javy Baez In A Shocking Category

Originally posted on The Cold Wire | By Curt Bishop | Last updated 12/16/22

The Detroit Tigers made a key move on Thursday to strengthen their starting rotation, signing veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen to a one-year, $8.5 million contract.

The 30-year-old has a chance to make an additional $1.5 million in incentives.

But what people tend to forget about Lorenzen now that the universal designated hitter is in place is that the right-hander actually is a pretty decent hitter and can play a little outfield when he isn’t on the mound.

On Twitter, a Tigers fan pointed out a rather interesting statistic.

As it turns out, Lorenzen has similar stats in his career at the plate to what his new Tigers teammate Javier Baez had in 2022.

Michael Lorenzen career as a hitter:

.233/.282/.429

Javier Baez 2022:

.238/.278/.393

— Jed (@TigersJUK) December 15, 2022

Lorenzen Rivals Baez’s Hitting Stats

To be fair, Baez is better known for his power and is quite a free swinger at the plate.

Still, he had a slash line of .238/.278/.393.

Lorenzen does have a lower career batting average, but not by much.

His career slash line sits at .233/.282/.429.

That’s pretty good considering that he’s a pitcher and typically doesn’t see a lot of action at the plate, and it isn’t too much of a step down from Baez.

But in case you’re wondering if those stats are real, we can confirm that Lorenzen does in fact have something he can claim on his new Tigers teammate.

Lorenzen and Baez are obviously quite familiar with each other, having spent time in the NL Central while Baez was with the Chicago Cubs.

The right-hander at the time was a member of the Cincinnati Reds.

This article first appeared on The Cold Wire and was syndicated with permission.

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