position switch, take two
Prior to last season, the Detroit Tigers gave raw rookie Colt Keith a big contract — which could be worth some $80 million — and a new position to play. The former Biloxi High standout, a third baseman in high school and the minors, switched to second base for his MLB debut — and handled the move with aplomb. Keith has been named the second baseman on Baseball Digest’s MLB Rookie All-Star Team for 2024, joining the likes of Paul Skenes, Jackson Merrill, Colton Cowser and Jackson Chourio on the venerable magazine’s honored list. Mississippi’s 2019 Gatorade player of the year, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Keith batted .260 with 13 homers and 61 RBIs in 148 games for the Tigers, who made the postseason. What’s next for Keith? Well, the Tigers will ask him to switch positions again in the spring, moving to first base to accommodate the arrival of free agent signee Gleyber Torres. Expect Keith, 23, to make a smooth adjustment, just as he did last spring. P.S. Waiting to see what’s next for Grae Kessinger, the Oxford native and ex-Ole Miss star who was designated for assignment by Houston last week. Kessinger could return to the Astros’ system if he clears waivers or he could wind up somewhere else as a minor league free agent. The 27-year-old infielder has been in pro ball since 2019, with 49 games in the big leagues. In 23 games with the Astros in 2024, he was 0-for-21. He batted .262 in Triple-A. … Entering the final day of the Mexican Pacific League regular season, Taylorsville High product Billy Hamilton leads the winter league with 38 stolen bases. The former big leaguer — who has 838 steals overall in pro ball — is batting .246 for Jalisco. Ex-Gulfport High standout Bobby Bradley, also an ex-big leaguer, is tied for third in the MPL with 10 homers for Navojoa.