2026 Stats
AVG
.201
HR
3
RBI
16
R
19
SB
1
Rest-of-Season Projections
2026 Fantasy Outlook
McKinstry enjoyed something of a breakout campaign in 2025, his sixth season at the MLB level. The veteran utility player appeared in 144 games and set career highs with 12 home runs, 19 stolen bases, 49 RBI and 68 runs scored. He also set a new career best with a .771 OPS, which was a good jump up from his .681 career mark. McKinstry enjoyed a degree of good luck with a .314 BABIP, which was up from .265 in 2024, though he also managed to increase his walk rate to a career best 9.2 percent while maintaining a strikeout rate right around 21 percent for the third straight year. The 30-year-old's greatest asset, at least in a real-world sense, is his ability to play all over the field. That does give McKinstry some added fantasy utility, though in past seasons he didn't hit enough to warrant much consideration despite the positional versatility. It's possible he regresses some in 2026, though if McKinstry keeps his OPS north of .700 and delivers double figures in homers and steals, he should maintain some value. Read Past Outlooks
Signed a one-year, $4.2 million contract with the Tigers in January of 2026.
Two hits, two runs in loss
McKinstry went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in Thursday's 10-4 loss to the Rangers.
Analysis
While it's been a struggle overall this season for McKinstry, he is showing some signs of life lately. Over his last 12 games, the utility player is batting .304 with an .812 OPS, six RBI and eight runs scored, but McKinstry's season batting average (.199) and OPS (.577) are much more unsightly. The veteran is seeing fairly regular playing time at shortstop for the Tigers, so if he can keep up his recent level of performance, he has a path to consistent fantasy utility in the second half.
While it's been a struggle overall this season for McKinstry, he is showing some signs of life lately. Over his last 12 games, the utility player is batting .304 with an .812 OPS, six RBI and eight runs scored, but McKinstry's season batting average (.199) and OPS (.577) are much more unsightly. The veteran is seeing fairly regular playing time at shortstop for the Tigers, so if he can keep up his recent level of performance, he has a path to consistent fantasy utility in the second half.
Batting Stats
Loading Batting Stats...
2026 MLB Game Log
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
Minor League Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Loading Minor League Batting Game Log...
Batting Order Slot Breakdown
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
1
1
1
11
15
13
5
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
3
5
3
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2024
Even Split
2026
+53%
OPS vs RHP
| OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2024vs Left | .681 | 195 | 1 | 20 | .233 | ||||
| Since 2024vs Right | .681 | 874 | 18 | 68 | .233 | ||||
| 2026vs Left | .403 | 43 | 0 | 1 | .118 | ||||
| 2026vs Right | .615 | 190 | 3 | 15 | .218 | ||||
| 2025vs Left | .854 | 119 | 1 | 15 | .296 | ||||
| 2025vs Right | .746 | 392 | 11 | 34 | .247 | ||||
| 2024vs Left | .379 | 33 | 0 | 4 | .133 | ||||
| 2024vs Right | .640 | 292 | 4 | 19 | .225 | ||||
| More Splits→ | View More Split Stats | ||||||||
| Minor League Splits→ | View Minor League Split Stats | ||||||||
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2024
+61%
OPS at Home
2026
+110%
OPS at Home
| OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2024Home | .839 | 545 | 14 | 57 | .283 | ||||
| Since 2024Away | .520 | 524 | 5 | 31 | .182 | ||||
| 2026Home | .768 | 126 | 3 | 11 | .262 | ||||
| 2026Away | .365 | 107 | 0 | 5 | .134 | ||||
| 2025Home | .991 | 263 | 10 | 37 | .323 | ||||
| 2025Away | .544 | 248 | 2 | 12 | .193 | ||||
| 2024Home | .647 | 156 | 1 | 9 | .234 | ||||
| 2024Away | .582 | 169 | 3 | 14 | .197 | ||||
| More Splits→ | View More Split Stats | ||||||||
Stat Review
How does Zach McKinstry compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
BB/K
0.64BB Rate
10.7%K Rate
16.7%BABIP
.232ISO
.093AVG
.201OBP
.286SLG
.294OPS
.580wOBA
.263Exit Velocity
83.4 mphHard Hit Rate
20.1%Barrels/PA
0.4%Expected BA
.208Expected SLG
.280Sprint Speed
23.7 ft/secGround Ball %
42.5%Line Drive %
17.4%Fly Ball %
40.1%Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
Loading Advanced Batting Stats...
Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
Loading Games Played by Position...
Batted Ball Stats
Loading Batted Ball Stats...
Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
Want more matchup stats?
Loading Matchup Stats...
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Subscribe Now
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2025
2024
2023
2021
2020
Across five MLB seasons, McKinstry has pretty much settled in as a light-hitting utility player known primarily for his defensive abilities. The 29-year-old batted .286 across a small sample of four games as a rookie with the Dodgers back in 2020, but he's batted .231 or worse in each of his seasons since then. He's also never reached double figures in home runs, as he topped out at nine long balls two years ago with Detroit, when he had a career-best 464 at-bats. McKinstry's value from a real-life perspective comes from his versatility. He appeared at every infield position except for first base last season and also saw time in the corner outfield spots. That makes McKinstry a useful MLB bench player, but it doesn't translate to fantasy impact. Heading into 2025, McKinstry should once again be a utility option who has some flashes of offensive ability but no real consistent value in most fantasy leagues.
More Fantasy News
Goes deep in loss
McKinstry went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 7-5, 10-inning loss to the Astros,
Analysis
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Hitting bench Wednesday
McKinstry is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros.
Analysis
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Hits rare home run
McKinstry went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Thursday's 11-0 win over the Twins.
Analysis
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Making third straight start
McKinstry will start in center field and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Twins.
Analysis
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Making first start in center field
McKinstry is starting in center field and batting eighth Friday against the Mariners.
Analysis
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Could be trade candidate
McKinstry is one of several left-handed hitters the Diamondbacks could target ahead of the trade deadline, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Analysis
The Diamondbacks need another left-handed bat to bolster their lineup, and McKinstry is one of the names they could target before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The Tigers are likely to be sellers since they've been one of the worst teams in the AL in 2026, and the possible departure of ace Tarik Skubal could lead to a full sell off. McKinstry would certainly add more balance to Arizona's lineup.
The Diamondbacks need another left-handed bat to bolster their lineup, and McKinstry is one of the names they could target before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The Tigers are likely to be sellers since they've been one of the worst teams in the AL in 2026, and the possible departure of ace Tarik Skubal could lead to a full sell off. McKinstry would certainly add more balance to Arizona's lineup.