Simcox Should Stay At Short

DETROIT—A lot of players enter pro ball as shortstops. Most of them end up playing elsewhere down the road.

The Tigers expect A.J. Simcox to stay put.

They think Simcox, a 14th-round pick in 2015 out of Tennessee, has what it takes to remain a shortstop over the long haul.

“He does for me,” director of player development Dave Owen said. “He sure does. From what we’ve seen so far, he’s not a guy you move off of shortstop. He’s got range. He’s got quickness. He reads balls well. He’s really in a good place right now as far as his development.”

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The 21-year-old Simcox split his 2015 pro debut at short-season Connecticut and low Class A West Michigan. At the latter stop, he hit .400 (34-for-85) with three doubles, a home run and a .910 OPS in the Midwest League.

While Simcox has a more modest batting line at high Class A Lakeland this season—.273/.305/.338 in 48 games—Owen said he was swinging the bat well early in the season. He also said he expects Simcox, who is 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, to develop as a hitter as he puts on some weight.

“He does have a good frame,” Owen said. “He’s lean, but he’ll start to put on some good weight. He’s really put some good swings on  the ball and is driving the ball the other way, which is good to see. I do think that once he puts on a little more weight, things will continue to be good for him.”

But whatever he is hitting and wherever he is in the batting order, he will remain at the premier defensive position on the field.

“He can really play shortstop,” Owen said. “He’s got really good instincts and just is a ballplayer. I don’t use that term loosely. This guy, you can just tell he knows how to play baseball.

“He’s going to be one of those guys who the more he gets into the professional routine and everything, I just see this guy being a very good player.”

TIGER TALES

• The Tigers promoted outfielder Jason Krizan to Triple-A Toledo on May 23. He took the place of outfielder Nate Schierholtz, who was released.

• After the Tigers optioned center fielder Anthony Gose to Toledo, he hit .192/.254/.250 with 25 strikeouts in his first 13 games.