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Over the years, the Chicago Cubs have either jettisoned or lost out on players who turned out to find some serious success with their new teams. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has taken his fair share of potshots for guys like that. However, in the case of Zach McKinstry, it’s not really fair to blame Hoyer for not seeing the infielder’s success coming, especially since he’s peaked years after his departure from Wrigleyville.
McKinstry was traded to the Detroit Tigers in a roster-shaving move in March 2023 and has since found a real home in the Motor City. But the numbers he’s put up in 2025 show a 30-year-old player really coming into his own during a season when the Tigers have soared into first place in the AL Central.
Zach McKinstry’s career year with Tigers is a reminder of what could have been for the Cubs
When two of the best teams in baseball face off starting on Friday night, McKinstry will try to continue a season against his former Chicago Cubs squad that’s seen him post a .271/.362/.415 slash line and an OPS+ of 122. All of those numbers are career-highs by a rather wide margin.
While the utility player who shines on the infield and outfield still hasn’t turned into the power hitter the Cubs were looking for, he has offered a little pop. His 10 doubles and four triples put him on a pace to post career-highs in both those stats, and he’s added three home runs.
The infielder will also never be mistaken for Pete Crow-Armstrong, but he did post 16 steals in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024.
Even when McKinstry’s bat hasn’t been all that impressive, he’s managed to be a plus defender, as his career-high 1.3 WAR in 2023 demonstrates. Thanks to his offense getting a big boost in 2025, he’s topped that number already and already has a 1.6 WAR for this season.
With Javier Baez and Zach McKinstry contributing heavily to the Tigers’ success this season, the Chicago Cubs hope they take a big step back for at least three games in a matchup of the best to offer from the American and National League this weekend at Comerica Park.