Through the first two months of the MLB season, the best team is not who would think. No, it’s not the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers, the two teams who played in the World Series last season and spend a lot of money every year. It’s the Detroit Tigers. To some, it’s not really a big surprise.
The Tigers have some very good arms in the starting rotation and the bullpen, while putting together a lineup that mashes. One of those players who has been mashing in the first two months is former Virginia Tech standout Kerry Carpenter. On Monday, the former Hokie continued his impressive power display against the Chicago White Sox.
Former Virginia Tech standout Kerry Carpenter slugs three homers
The White Sox have struggled again this season through the first two months of the season, and those struggles hit rock bottom against the Tigers Monday night in the opening game of an American League Central Division series. Carpenter clubbed three home runs in Detroit’s 13-1 rout of Chicago.
Carpenter’s first home run was a two-run shot in the first inning for an early 2-0 lead, then in the fourth inning, he hit another two-run homer for a commanding 8-0 lead. He finished off his power display with a solo blast in the sixth inning for a 10-0 lead. He finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs.
A 19th-round selection by the Tigers in the 2019 MLB Draft, Carpenter is hitting .276 this season following his three-homer game with 13 home runs and 27 RBIs. The Florida native is well on his way to setting a new career-high for home runs, which is 20 that he hit in 2023, and he is just five away from tying his 18 last season. If he stays healthy, it’s safe to say that both numbers will be passed this summer.