Matt Vierling

Vierling played his first season in Detroit in 2023 and there were some positive signs. First and foremost, the 27-year-old saw his most consistent playing time yet at the MLB level. He played in a career-high 134 games and recorded 530 plate appearances, which blew away his previous best of 357. Vierling's best asset at this point is his versatility, as he played in all three outfield positions for the Tigers and also got some run at third base. At the plate, Vierling slashed .261/.329/.388 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI. He mostly looked like a contact hitter, with just a 33.2% hard-hit rate and .127 ISO. Unfortunately, Vierling didn't offset the lack of power with much running, as he stole only six bases in 12 attempts. The utility man has shown decent speed in the field, so there's a chance he's able to up his steals. But if that doesn't happen, Vierling is unlikely to be much more than a middling fantasy asset unless he unexpectedly develops more power.

Vierling earned a spot on the Phillies' Opening Day roster last season and remained there for most of the year, spending less than a month in the minors. He filled the short side of a platoon in center field throughout the season, paired with Odubel Herrera, Mickey Moniak and eventually Brandon Marsh. He also spent a bit of time in the infield, making five starts at third base and a pair at second. Altogether, he was a useful bench piece for the pennant-winning Phillies, but he may not have a future as anything more than that. In 357 trips to the plate, he slashed .246/.297/.351, adding six homers and seven steals. If you're looking for encouraging signs, you could point to his 19.6 K% and 85th percentile hard-hit rate, but those came as the Phillies tried to limit his exposure to tough righties. He recorded a 110 wRC+ against southpaws but struggled to a 63 wRC+ against right-handers, and Detroit seems likely to also limit him to a platoon after acquiring him from Philadelphia. However, the Tigers have significantly less talent in the outfield, so he'll have a much clearer path to an everyday role in 2023.

An unheralded prospect who was thrust into MLB action last season, Vierling logged better numbers in the majors (.324/.364/.479 slash line in 77 PA) than at Triple-A (.248/.331/.359 slash line in 236 PA). His .420 BABIP and 0.20 BB/K support the notion that he was playing way over his head in a small sample against big-league pitching. The Phillies' depth chart seems incomplete at the time of the lockout, so while Vierling looks like he would be in line for playing time as things currently stand, that is unlikely to be the case by the time Opening Day arrives. He projects as a replacement-level player in his age-25 season, and he would need regular work to compile enough counting stats to be relevant in most fantasy formats.