Derek Hill Is Fast As Lightning

The Detroit Tigers have managed to do what seems impossible: play a full season of compelling and not-that-awful baseball. First-year manager A.J. Hinch brought his club into today's action only seven games under .500 after limping out to a disastrous 9-24 start. There are plenty of avenues for enthusiasm leading into the future, including centerfielder Derek Hill, who has proven himself more than capable of patrolling Comerica Park's cavernous outfield and shown flashes of pure electricity at the plate and on the basepaths.

For a nice glimpse at his potential, see the below clip of an RBI triple this afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers. Hill was off to the races immediately and made it easily even though the ball was hit to left-center and played quite cleanly. That's a special type of useful speed.

Hill's high-end isn't anything to write home about but the emergence of a game-changing tool like this is still exciting. He'll have to improve upon his .700 OPS and work more walks to be a long-term reliable option. Stretching triples out of doubles will go a long way.