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Tigers’ Andy Ibáñez kept the faith and became baseball’s latest unlikely playoff hero

Vaseline October 3, 2024

HOUSTON – Before the ball landed properly and the runners raced around the bases, before the champagne popped and another party ensued, before all the pinch hits and the visualizations and the September battle, there was a boy in Cuba.

The boy grew up dreaming of moments like this. Growing into a young man, he left his homeland to pursue such ambitions. He traveled to Haiti and crossed into the Dominican Republic, supported by street coaches who saw his promise as a baseball player. But even as that boy grew into a major-league player, this kind of podium still felt far away. He didn’t make his debut until he was 28. Two falls ago, the Texas Rangers put him on waivers. He came to the Detroit Tigers with opportunity, a right-handed hitting specialist who epitomized the winning-on-the-margins style that manager AJ Hinch and president of baseball operations Scott Harris infused into the team’s DNA.

But he played on a team that was eight games under .500 in August. His bat went terribly cold even as his teammates staged a remarkable rally to the postseason.

“Never. Never, never,” Ibáñez said through an interpreter when asked Wednesday if he could have imagined such a postseason moment. “I’ve been playing in the big leagues for a few years. Every time (in the play- offs) I just watch the Astros on TV.

ANDY IBÁÑEZ CLEARS THE BASICS!

THE GRITTY TIGS!!! pic.twitter.com/D0eYmY8Mjj

— MLB (@MLB) October 2, 2024

But in the eighth inning of Game 2 in the American League Wild Card Series, Ibáñez stood on the dirt in front of the Tigers’ dugout. He lurked and foresaw success as left-handed Houston Astros power forward Josh Hader warmed up. He feinted and repeated his stride on every pitch Hader threw. Ibáñez did all this as a hitter with just a .161 batting average since July 21. Once the Tigers’ best clutch performer, he had driven in just two runs in 25 games. His numbers plummeted across the board, and yet he finished the season with an .802 OPS against left-handed pitching.

The Tigers also kept their faith. They let Ibáñez hit leadoff in late-season games, an effort to help him rediscover his swing. They placed him on the roster after the season because of his track record as a toxic chess piece. “His confidence is crucial for us,” Hinch said. “But our confidence in him is just as important.”

Now the governance began to unfold in his favor. Hader faced Spencer Torkelson with two runners on and two out in the eighth inning. The score was tied at 2. The Tigers had escaped disaster several times.

These are the moments Ibáñez lives for. On Wednesday morning, he had spoken with fellow countryman and friend Adolis García, who defeated the Astros in the postseason last year. Ibáñez retreated to the cage with switch-hitting teammate Wenceel Pérez as early as the second inning of Wednesday’s game, wanting to be loose and prepared. Ibáñez is constantly standing on the top step of the dugout. He is the only Tiger who attends his own pitchers’ bullpen sessions – so much does he long for the footage of live pitching.

“He’s literally pacing in the dugout,” Hinch said. “And as soon as the lefty even picked up a ball, Andy has his helmet on and he’s done.”

Hader came in and Torkelson was walking, so Ibáñez came forward. He promptly found himself trailing 0–2 against one of the game’s most imposing relief pitchers. Opponents hit just .114 against the long-haired southpaw this season after 0-2 counts.

However, Ibáñez took a sinker outside and then made a mistake on a difficult sinker. Hader’s fifth straight sinker started inside and broke over the heart of the plate. Ibáñez let go and drove down the left field line at 110 mph. In the corner and out of sight for much of the ballpark, the ball hit the ground and rattled against the wall.

As the crowd fell silent, Matt Vierling scored from third place. Colt Keith ran home from second, screaming as he crossed the plate. Torkelson came spinning around the bases from first, slid in safely and flexed his arms as he emerged from the sand.

“I’ve never tried so hard to run that fast in my life,” Torkelson said.

Spencer Torkelson comes in and scores on Andy Ibáñez’s bases-clearing double in the eighth. (Thomas Shea/Imagn Images)

At third base, Ibáñez raised his arms and gestured to the crowd. The Tigers took a 5-2 lead that held for the final score. The air was sucked out of Minute Maid Park. And as his team advanced to the ALDS to face the Cleveland Guardians, Ibáñez became baseball’s latest unlikely postseason hero.

“As soon as I made the contact, I just wanted the ball to be fair,” said Ibáñez, who doubled and moved to third on the home throw. “The most important thing was that I encouraged the runners at the base to go, go, go, go, go.

“As soon as I reached second base, I saw the Tigers fans on top of our dugout, and it was a very moving and emotional moment.”

The Tigers’ win on Wednesday was another good symbol of their unlikely path to this point. Tyler Holton served as their opener. Hinch built pitching bridges from inning to inning, trying to get to the proverbial next out. The Tigers’ lineup took over from Houston starter (and Detroit native) Hunter Brown.

In a game that worked with the weight of a football match – back and forth, tension in the air, grimaces and grins every time a ball left the bat – the character of the victory was Brenan Hanifee, who struck out Jason Heyward to score the second to finish. . It was Brant Hurter who threw his sinker and got a crucial double play in the fourth inning. It was Beau Brieske who fired paint at the edge of the strike zone, Zach McKinstry who threw a pitch over the diamond, and Sean Guenther who relieved Jackson Jobe and generated another coveted groundball.

For all the moments where the Tigers looked failure in the face and refused to give in, none were bigger than the ball Ibáñez hit to change the game. The Tigers’ mesmerizing run continues to exude an air of destiny. And so, of course, it was a player like Ibáñez who overcame his demons and created the biggest sensation yet in a season full of them.

With one swing of the bat he drove in more runs than he had in over a month.

In one moment, his entire journey was validated.

“I love that kid,” Hinch said. “I love how prepared he is, and I love that he kept the mindset that he was going to get big at-bats when he was going through a really tough September and things weren’t as heroic as they are now.”