Tigers' Dillon Dingler making case as one of MLB's best catchers

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Dillon Dingler already broke out, to some extent, a season ago.

But this season for the Detroit Tigers, Dingler has raised his level again, toward the realm of the best catchers in baseball.

The collegiate centerfielder has developed into a great player behind the plate. Even before the ABS challenge system was in place, Dingler graded out well defensively, and he won the Gold Glove award for AL catchers in 2025.

Now with the challenges, Dingler has only missed one so far, and that was on a pitch that missed by less than a tenth of an inch. Clearly, he's got that dialed in.

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The biggest breakthrough this season for Dingler has come at the plate. Last season, he was a good hitter (.752 OPS). So far this season, he's been a great hitter (.885 OPS).

"The 27-year-old backstop is seemingly taking it up a notch in 2026, with a .885 OPS through his first 10 games, with underlying figures suggesting his numbers should be even better so far," writes MLB.com's Brent Maguire as part of a new article on Friday. "Dingler already had solid contact quality numbers last year, but he’s raised his level thus far, barreling a fifth of his baseballs and recording hard-hit batted balls nearly 60 percent of the time. If Dingler has found a new offensive level, his all-around game could make him one of baseball’s top catchers."

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The Tigers are a team that has a lot of the pieces needed for success. They've got an ace atop a strong pitching rotation, pop in the middle of the order, a phenom on the rise in Kevin McGonigle (and Max Clark coming soon). The growth of the game of their catcher, though, could be the thing that makes all the difference.

Catchers can be a team's unsung hero, but when they reach the level Dingler is playing at right now, they get plenty of notice. Detroit would gladly welcome continued impressive play from their backstop.

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