Just before he turned 27 last November, Quintin Berry signed with the Detroit Tigers as a minor league free agent. Little did anyone realize the path his career was about to take.

Injuries to Austin Jackson and Andy Dirks helped give Berry a shot in the big leagues, and the gregarious outfielder has made the most of it so far, hitting .316 in
33 games.

It’s not clear how much he’ll play when the Tigers return to full strength, but so far Berry has been a breath of fresh air, even adding some speed (12 steals without being caught) to a lineup lacking it.