DETROIT >> The question will be debated heavily around here for the next couple of weeks leading up to the trade deadline. Do the Tigers need another bat?

Could they use one? Sure. Do they need one? That’s a tougher question.

They went into the break ranked in the top five in the American League in runs (third, 482), home runs (fifth, 124), slugging percentage (third, .425). on-base percentage (fifth, .324) and OPS (third, .749).

And that’s with several key offensive pieces either missing or struggling (Matt Vierling, Parker Meadows, Kerry Carpenter).

The Tigers have amassed the best record in baseball and an 11.5-game lead in the Central Division by using a whole-roster approach on offense, mixing and matching and exploiting matchup advantages at every turn.

But, unlike last season, they’ve gotten reliable, aircraft-carrier production out of the middle of the order. Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson have combined for 45 home runs, 137 RBI and 87 extra-base hits, the last unprecedented in Tigers’ history.

Unless you’re betting on regression in the second half from the likes of Zach McKinstry, Gleyber Torres and Javier Baez — three All Stars, none of whom have shown any signs of slowing down — unless you think the production from the middle of the order is a fluke and you don’t expect a return to health/form from Meadows, Vierling and Carpenter, then you might argue for the addition of another bat.

But looking at the evidence at hand from the first 97 games, including a robust plus-87 run differential despite some recent bullpen meltdowns, it’s not likely to be the offense that keeps the Tigers out of the postseason.

Here are the mid-term assessments for the Tigers’ position players:

Catchers

Dillon Dingler, 1.5 WAR, .265/.306/.414, 100 OPS-plus >> He took the reins as the regular catcher in early April and has provided a sturdy, productive presence behind and at the plate. He has a plus-7 run value defensively, per Statcast, which ranks in the top 94th percentile in baseball. He ranks in the top 95th percentile in blocking and 94th in framing. His 31.9% caught-stealing percentage is tops in the American League. The break came at a good time for him, though. He hit .207 with two homers over his last 28 games. Mid-term grade: B

Jake Rogers, 0 WAR, .167/.282/.273, 58 OPS-plus >> An oblique injury on April 8 derailed his season before it could even get started. Dillon Dingler took over as the primary catcher while Rogers was out and he’s battled to find his rhythm at the plate in sporadic at-bats since he’s been back. Make no mistake, though, he remains a valuable part of this team, both for what he does behind the scenes, in the pitchers and hitters meetings and for the clubhouse chemistry, and what he has proven capable of doing on the field. Mid-term grade: C

Infielders

Spencer Torkelson, 1.6 WAR, .234/.337/.489, 129 OPS-plus >> Here is why organizations need to show patience with young talent. After a fallback season in 2024, Torkelson, still just 25, came to camp without a job or a guaranteed spot on the roster. But he found a way to tap into his athleticism at the plate and won back his spot at first base, slugging 21 home runs with 59 RBI. Twelve of those home runs have come on two-strike counts, which is impressive. He and Riley Greene have given the Tigers middle-of-the-order production not seen in the first half since Cecil Fielder and Mickey Tettleton back in 1993. Grade: BGleyber Torres, 2.2 WAR, .281/.387/.425, 129 OPS-plus >> It’s hard to overstate the stability he’s brought on both sides of the ball. He’s been an on-base machine hitting mostly out of the two-hole, taking a league-best 25-game hit streak into the break. And defensively, he’s shot holes in the narrative that he was a lazy, careless defender at second base. He’s been anything but, with three errors in 266 chances. An All-Star again at age 28, he’s put himself in position to both help the Tigers return to the postseason and increase his value when he hits the free-agent market again this winter. Mid-Term grade: B

Colt Keith, 1.1 WAR, .264/.346/.434, 118 OPS-plus >> He’s handled a very touchy situation extremely well. Keith started the season as the first baseman, with Gleyber Torres slotted at second base. Spencer Torkelson hit his way back into the first base spot which left manager AJ Hinch with three everyday-worthy players for two positions. Keith has been the one to shuttle between the two, plus designated-hitter, and never complained. After a slow start, he has caught fire at the plate. Since May 4, he’s hitting .305/.360/.508 with 14 doubles, two triples, six homers and 24 RBI. Mid-term grade: B-minus

Javier Baez, 2.1 WAR, .275/.310/.442, 109 OPS-plus >> It’s the feel-good story of the first half, by far. Booed lustily for two years in Detroit, Baez underwent hip surgery in the offseason, changed his fitness regimen, tweaked his hitting mechanics and has become one of the team’s most beloved players, an All-Star starter for the first time since 2019. He’s been, at age 32, an athletic marvel, rescuing the Tigers early with his stellar play in center field, a position he had never played before in the big leagues. He will likely be the primary shortstop down the stretch and his production from the right side of the plate will be vital. Mid-term grade: B

Zach McKinstry, 2.7 WAR, .285/.364/.472, 133 OPS-plus >> His ability to play and play well everywhere on the diamond, his ability to produce against right-handed (.796 OPS) and left-handed pitching (.949 OPS), his base running acumen (15 of 18 stolen bases, 75% success rate taking extra bases) and his selflessness are what unlock the Tigers’ mix-and-match style of play. He’s the cheat code for whatever manager AJ Hinch wants to do during a game. He’s waited five years for an opportunity to play every day and he’s run with it. Mid-term grade: B-plus

Trey Sweeney, minus-0.2 WAR, .215/.281/.314, 68 OPS-plus >> The high-velocity fastball continues to be an issue for him, especially from right-handed pitchers. He continues to be steady defensively, but with Javier Baez getting most of the playing time at shortstop, Sweeney’s playing time has all but dissipated. It will be interesting to see what happens when Kerry Carpenter comes back off the IL. Matt Vierling could start getting more reps at third, which could make Sweeney a candidate to be optioned to Triple-A. Mid-term grade: C-minus.

Andy Ibanez, 0.2 WAR, .213/.292/.319, 72 OPS-plus >> One of the heroes of the postseason last year, he never found his footing this year. Always aggressive at the plate, he seemed overly anxious this year and pitchers exploited that. When he was optioned, first Justyn-Henry Malloy and now Jahmai Jones took over Ibanez’s lefty-killer role off the bench. Ibanez continued to struggle at Toledo, but over his last 15 games has posted a .550 slugging percentage and .932 OPS. Mid-term Grade: C-minus

Outfielders

Riley Greene, 2.7 WAR, .284/.335/.544, 142 OPS-plus >> His production level in the first half was historic. His 24 homers tied his career best, his 78 RBI is a new career best and he’s the only left-handed hitter in club history to reach those numbers at the break. Miguel Cabrera (2013) and Hank Greenberg (1935) as the only other Tigers hitters to record at least 24 home runs and 78 RBI before the break. Only Greenberg did it at the age of 24. He’s got an OPS over 1.0 in Tigers wins and is slugging .533 with an .875 OPS and 54 RBI with runners in scoring position. We are baring witness to a superstar’s emergence. Mid-term grade: A-minus

Parker Meadows, minus-0.1 WAR, .193/.261/.284, 54 OPS-plus >> We’ve seen this movie before. Meadows hit below .100 through 32 games last season then took off after July 4, hitting .299 and slugging .513. This year, after starting the season on the shelf with a nerve issue in his arm, he is scuffling again through 32 games. The expectation is he will heat up in the second half and it’s vital for the Tigers that he does. It’s also imperative that he doesn’t allow his hitting issues to impact his defense. He had a couple of lapses in the final homestand before the break that were uncharacteristic. Mid-term grade: C-minus

Kerry Carpenter, 0.8 WAR, .257/.285/.494, 114 OPS-plus >> It was a frustrating first half. He seemed to tweak his hamstring every time he started getting hot at the plate. He was 4 for 7 with two homers in the two games before he went on the IL at the end of June. He’s altered his therapy plan on the hamstring, amping the intensity of his workouts and he was looking and feeling strong going into the break. He is expected to rejoin the team relatively soon, though he will likely need to play at least a couple rehab games with Toledo. Mid-term grade: C-plus

Wenceel Perez, 0.4 WAR, .262/.317/.508, 127 OPS-plus >> Just as he did last year, Perez provided an immediate spark when he came back off the injured list. Being a switch-hitter, he adds another layer to manager AJ Hinch’s in-game options. He’s hit seven homers in 39 games and three of them have come from the right side, which has been his less productive side. It will be interesting to see how Hinch puts the outfield puzzle together once Kerry Carpenter is back and Matt Vierling and Parker Meadows get untracked at the plate. Mid-term grade: B-minus

Matt Vierling, minus-0.3 WAR, .158/.298/.184, 41 OPS-plus >> It’s been an agonizing five-plus months for him. A rotator cuff injury early in spring has limited him to 13 games and he’s still searching for his timing at the plate. Once he gets back up to speed, he is an answer to a lot of questions, in terms of plugging holes defensively, in terms of needing another right-handed bat, in terms of both an energy source and leadership. Mid-term grade: Incomplete

Jahmai Jones, 0.5 WAR, .293/.396/.561, 165 OPS-plus >> A total pro from the minute he showed up in camp. He’s about to turn 28, been in pro ball since 2015 and he’s fit seamlessly into the Tigers’ culture. He’s taken over the lefty-slayer role and has performed exceptionally well in 41 plate appearances (.314/.415/.629, 1.043 OPS). He has no minor-league options, a non-issue as long as he continues to produce, or unless the Tigers acquire a more proven right-handed bat at the trade deadline. Mid-term grade: B-minus

Justyn-Henry Malloy >> minus-0.1 WAR, .208/.339/.281, 78 OPS-plus: He was hitting in the leadoff spot against lefty starters for a good stretch of the season and his on-base numbers were good (16% walk rate). But the strikeouts started to pile up and the power numbers didn’t. He’s been crushing it in Triple-A, as he always does (.336/.486/.451, with 16 doubles and seven homers). It’s a good bet he will be back up again at some point in the second half. Mid-term grade: C-minus

Incomplete: Ryan Kreidler, Jace Jung, Tomas Nido, Akil Baddoo, Brewer Hicklen

Released: Manuel Margot