It was Colt Keith’s first at-bat in Triple A, an 0-1 count, when he got a pitch low and in, scooped it with the barrel of his bat and sent the ball absolutely flying over the fence.
So much for quelling the hype.
Keith has been riding a rocket ship all year, now firmly established as the Tigers’ best hitting prospect. In the past six weeks, the 21-year-old has hit for a mega-cycle that featured two home runs, been elevated to Triple A and selected to the Futures Game on the same day, then homered in his first plate appearance at the new level.
Between all that, Keith also celebrated a few nights ago as the Double-A Erie SeaWolves draped the clubhouse in plastic and sprayed champagne around the room. Erie clinched the first-half division title (the Double-A season is split into halves) and thus a spot in the Eastern League postseason.
“It was some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time playing the game,” Keith said on a video call after the SeaWolves clinched. “I haven’t felt like that since I was a kid.”
After his Monday promotion to Triple A, Keith is now knocking loudly on Detroit’s door. He went 3-for-4 with two walks (one intentional) in his Toledo Mud Hens debut. An arrival in Detroit this year is far from a guarantee, but if Keith crushes pitching anything like he did in Double A, he could leave the Tigers little choice.
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