Dillon Dingler won the Detroit Tigers’ 2026 Heart and Hustle award with 5.0 fWAR and a 109 wRC+, despite an August-September slump. The article credits his elite catching defense and points to workload and plate discipline in assessing the late fade.
Statcast ranks Dingler fifth in blocks above average, with 11, and he is tied with Toronto’s Brandon Valenzuela for the framing lead at eight runs saved. At the plate, his wRC+ was 175 in June and 138 in July, then 45 in August and 40 in September. His splits also reversed from 2025: 129 wRC+ against right-handers and 66 against lefties in 2026, compared with 89 and 169, respectively, last year.
The article projected Dingler would finish with 143 or 144 games, assuming one day off in the final series against Pittsburgh, compared with 126 in 2025. He had 594 plate appearances versus 469 last year despite catching fewer games, because he often played designated hitter on days off from catching. The writer argues Detroit should get more offense from other players so Dingler is not overworked.
