The Detroit Tigers, the sixth and final seed in the American League for the playoffs, are fighting on into the AL Division Series after sweeping the No. 3-seeded Houston Astros in the wild-card round.
Detroit won both games on the road in the best-of-three series, 3-1 on Tuesday and 5-2 on Wednesday. The 2024 season now marks the first since 2016 that Houston hasn’t reached at least the AL Championship Series.
>> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more stories where sports and faith connect <<
The Tigers needed every player on the roster to oust the favored Astros, including do-everything utility man Zach McKinstry. A 29-year-old Central Michigan alum, McKinstry is appearing for the first time in the MLB postseason, and he’s making the most of it.
He entered Game 1 as a second baseman but didn’t receive an at-bat. In the closeout Game 2, McKinstry started at third base, threw out Houston’s first batter of the game with an incredible twisting play from behind third, and slapped a double to centerfield in the second inning.
What a play from Zach McKinstry! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/Z41J1ZLdql
— MLB (@MLB) October 2, 2024
Before this season, the Tigers hadn’t made the playoffs since 2014, when they were swept in the ALDS. For long stretches of the 2024 campaign, it appeared as though they’d have to wait at least one more year. Detroit started strong but fell below .500 in June. On August 11, there was a 0.2% chance the Tigers would make the playoffs.
Yet a late-season surge kept them in the playoff conversation. They reached .500 again on Aug. 26, and finished the regular season 86-76.
A number of Tigers players excelled during the team’s late-season hot streak, including McKinstry. A .220 hitter during his five-year career, McKinstry batted .368 across 68 at-bats in August, recording seven RBIs and six stolen bases during the month. He also seamlessly transitioned between defensive positions as he filled in wherever needed.
McKinstry’s versatility and overall value to the team was recognized when he won the team’s Player of the Month for August.
“I can plug [McKinstry] in wherever,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told Star Local Media in September, “and when he’s performing at this rate, why wouldn’t I? [McKinstry has] been incredible these last few weeks, and I’ve certainly noticed by demonstrating it with playing time. His ability to play multiple positions is one thing, but the fact that he does it well is the most important part.”
McKinstry has leveraged his platform as a MLB player to proclaim the name of Jesus in ballparks throughout the United States; he is one of numerous players who have worn “Jesus Won” shirts while warming up, all made possible by his connection with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in Arizona.
A portion of the sales from McKinstry’s “Jesus Won” shirts go to support BBQ Mission, a “Christian nonprofit organization driven to provide meals for those in need” in Phoenix. The organization’s slogan is “Serving Jesus one meal at a time.” Jeff Simpson, one of the founders of BBQ Mission, coached McKinstry in T-ball.
Many Mondays during the MLB offseason, McKinstry can be found serving with BBQ Mission. In July, the MLB Players Association posted a video detailing his involvement with the nonprofit.
View this post on Instagram
“Getting to meet [people who are homeless] and pray with them, it’s just a good feeling,” McKinstry said in the video. “You get to talk to people that you probably wouldn’t talk to on a regular basis if you’re just walking down the street.”
“… Just seeing their faces glow and they’re so excited to get a little bit of food, it just makes your heart full.”
View this post on Instagram
McKinstry’s desire to serve the homeless population is driven by his faith, which has grown tremendously in the last few years. He declares in his Instagram bio that “Jesus Won” and he lists the Bible verse Joshua 1:9.
“The mental talk was terrible,” he said in the video about life before becoming a follower of Christ. “Just telling myself I wasn’t good enough to be out there. I wasn’t happy.”
As God worked in McKinstry’s heart, McKinstry began to understand God’s desire for him to get baptized. He underwent the sacrament in February.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
McKinstry is certainly enjoying his first taste of postseason baseball, and he knows that the bigger the stage gets, the greater his opportunity to declare that “Jesus won.”
In the ALDS, Detroit will take on the American League’s No. 2 seed, the Cleveland Guardians (92-69). Game 1 of the best-of-five series is set for Saturday at 1:08 p.m. ET in Cleveland.
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<
RELATED STORIES:
— Kerry Carpenter helping fuel Tigers’ playoff push as ambassador for Christ
— SS PODCAST: Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter on breakout 2023 season, playing ‘free’
— Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter enjoys 3-homer weekend as he plays ‘all for His glory’
— Jason Adam stepping up big for Padres, sees ‘His hand through it all’
— Yankees’ Luke Weaver grooving, finds peace in God’s power after tough ’23
