Detroit Tigers Open Grapefruit League with WBC-Laden Lineup; Montero to Start in Tampa
The Detroit Tigers open Grapefruit League play Saturday in Tampa with a lineup heavy with World Baseball Classic participants and Venezuelan right-hander Keider Montero on the mound. The game matters as the first step of a 29-game spring exhibition slate that leads to a 162-game regular season opener on March 26.
Detroit Tigers lineup and broadcast details
The Tigers are scheduled to play at George M. Steinbrenner Field at 1 p. m. on Saturday, Feb. 21. Keider Montero will start for Detroit against the Yankees' Carlos Lagrange, a 6-foot-7 right-hander who finished the previous season in Double-A. The Detroit Tigers' opening lineup mixes established regulars and prospects: Gleyber Torres and Hao-Yu Lee will alternate at second base, Colt Keith is at third, Kevin McGonigle will start at shortstop and bat second, and rookie Trei Cruz is in center field.
Other members of the lineup include Jahmai Jones in a corner outfield spot, rookie Eduardo Valencia at catcher, Jake Rogers as the designated hitter and non-roster outfielder Corey Julks expected to take another corner outfield role. Several of those players participated in the World Baseball Classic, a factor reflected in the composition of the starters.
Television distribution for the opener is set: the game will be broadcast on the YES Network beginning at 1 p. m., with streaming available through MLB. com and on Fubo. Radio coverage for metro Detroit listeners is on WXYT-FM 97. 1. In select regions, the Yankees' lineup features Aaron Judge in right field batting near the top, with prospect Spencer Jones in the middle of the order.
Context and escalation
The spring opener launches Detroit's 29-game exhibition schedule, which culminates in the regular season kickoff on March 26 against the San Diego Padres. The club has also adjusted its broadcast arrangements for the season: non-national Tigers games will be available on MLB Media after the team ended its partnership with the parent company of the FanDuel Sports Network. The organization is slated for 16 national television games this season.
What makes this notable is the number of World Baseball Classic participants in the starting nine — an immediate reliance on players who completed international duty that could affect early spring workloads and on-field continuity. The team has given multiple young players and recent prospects prominent roles in the opener, signaling a mix of evaluation and readiness assessment during the Grapefruit League.
Immediate impact
Players and fans face immediate, measurable effects from the opener. Kevin McGonigle, identified as the consensus No. 2 prospect in baseball, will bat second and man shortstop, and his plate appearances will be a focus in early game coverage. Rookies such as Eduardo Valencia and Trei Cruz receive starting assignments, providing them with live-game reps that count toward roster decisions during the 29-game spring slate.
Broadcast access is concrete: television viewers can tune into the YES Network at 1 p. m., stream on MLB. com or Fubo, and listeners in metro Detroit can hear the game on WXYT-FM 97. 1. The Yankees' rotation and order for the opener, including a 6-foot-7 right-hander on the mound, establish the competitive context for those evaluations.
Forward outlook
With the opener set for Feb. 21, the next confirmed milestones are the remainder of the 29-game Grapefruit League schedule and the March 26 regular-season start in San Diego. The Tigers' media plan for the season includes 16 nationally televised games and a shift of non-national broadcasts to MLB Media following the end of the prior partnership. Live tracking of McGonigle's at-bats and early spring performances will continue throughout the exhibition slate, offering a sequence of evaluative checkpoints for the coaching staff and front office as they finalize roster decisions.
