2026 Stats
AVG
.168
HR
2
RBI
10
R
8
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.
Hitting bench Wednesday
McKinstry is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros.
Analysis
McKinstry will get the afternoon off after he went 5-for-25 with a solo home run, four walks and four additional runs while starting seven of the Tigers' last eight games. Though he appears to have a grasp on a near-everyday role for now, McKinstry's playing time could dry up if he continues to underwhelm at the plate. He's produced a .168/.258/.245 slash line over 165 plate appearances on the season.
McKinstry will get the afternoon off after he went 5-for-25 with a solo home run, four walks and four additional runs while starting seven of the Tigers' last eight games. Though he appears to have a grasp on a near-everyday role for now, McKinstry's playing time could dry up if he continues to underwhelm at the plate. He's produced a .168/.258/.245 slash line over 165 plate appearances on the season.
Batting Stats
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2026 MLB Game Log
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
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2020
Minor League Game Log
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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
1
1
1
8
8
13
3
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
2
3
1
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2024
+4%
OPS vs LHP
2026
+140%
OPS vs RHP
| OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2024vs Left | .701 | 171 | 1 | 19 | .237 | ||||
| Since 2024vs Right | .671 | 830 | 17 | 63 | .228 | ||||
| 2026vs Left | .222 | 19 | 0 | 0 | .000 | ||||
| 2026vs Right | .533 | 146 | 2 | 10 | .186 | ||||
| 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
+59%
OPS at Home
2026
+115%
OPS at Home
| OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2024Home | .830 | 503 | 13 | 53 | .280 | ||||
| Since 2024Away | .521 | 498 | 5 | 29 | .179 | ||||
| 2026Home | .683 | 84 | 2 | 7 | .236 | ||||
| 2026Away | .317 | 81 | 0 | 3 | .099 | ||||
| 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
0.58BB Rate
10.9%K Rate
18.8%BABIP
.196ISO
.077AVG
.168OBP
.258SLG
.245OPS
.502wOBA
.231Exit Velocity
83.4 mphHard Hit Rate
21.5%Barrels/PA
0.6%Expected BA
.208Expected SLG
.280Sprint Speed
23.8 ft/secGround Ball %
46.5%Line Drive %
12.3%Fly Ball %
41.2%Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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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
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
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Making third straight start
McKinstry will start in center field and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Twins.
Analysis
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Making first start in center field
McKinstry is starting in center field and batting eighth Friday against the Mariners.
Analysis
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Hitting bench Wednesday
McKinstry is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.
Analysis
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On bench for nightcap
McKinstry is out of the lineup for the second game of Sunday's doubleheader versus the Orioles.
Analysis
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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.