Former Ohio State Catcher Dillon Dingler Shines in Major League Debut
Dillon Dingler, a former Ohio State Catcher from 2018-2020, recorded his first hit and RBI during his major league debut on Monday.
The former second round pick from the Detroit Tigers was called up to the major league club Monday morning and he made his presence felt quickly. He drove in the first run of the game for the Tigers with an RBI double off of Guardians starter Tanner Bibee in the seventh inning. Dingler finished the game 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.
In his third major league at-bat, Dingler smoked an 84 mile per hour sinker to the wall that not only scored the Tigers’ first run but advanced a runner to third.
“It was awesome,” Dingler, who had roughly 25 friends and family watch his debut at Comerica Park, said of his first-major league hit. “I got chills when it went over the speaker after it happened, after I was standing on second base, and it’s one of the coolest moments I’ve experienced. I really enjoyed that.”
The 25-year-old Catcher from Massillon, Ohio, flashed plenty of pop at the plate for the Toledo Mud Hens during the 2024 season, hitting 17 home runs in 71 games. With a career .804 OPS in minor league baseball, Dingler became the 11th ranked prospect in the Tigers’ system before being promoted.
Dingler, a two-time all Big-Ten selection for the Buckeyes, will look to make a permanent home out of Detroit as the Tigers’ backstop.