FanPost Friday: Which Tigers player has surprised you most this season?

I won’t lie to you. Before this season started, I would have been hard pressed to pick Niko Goodrum out of a crowd. In fact, as the Detroit Tigers began their traditional February caravan rounds of visiting local Detroit stops and supporting charity events, I could barely recognize more than a handful of players thanks to the massive influx of fresh blood, and the trades of old friends.

This was the perfect season to be pleasantly surprised by players, because there were no expectations to be had. Or, perhaps you might have had high expectations for some (*ahem* Daniel Norris) only to be let down. Either way, it was a year built on surprise.

Who would have anticipated the defensive year of JaCoby Jones? The red-hot introduction of Dawel Lugo? The general existence of John Hicks at first base more than Miguel Cabrera?

There’s a lot to choose from when it comes to surprises on this year’s team. For me, it has probably been the consistent presence of Niko Goodrum, a guy whose name might as well have been “Who?” in spring training [Ed.: Or “Buddy”], and who I now believe could be an everyday infielder for the Tigers in 2019. He will most certainly win Tigers Rookie of the Year. Now that is a surprise indeed.

Who has been the most surprising Tigers player of the season for you? Head over to the FanPost section, select “New FanPost” on the left, and tell us which player and why, for better or worse.