Peyton Graham's big year at Double-A Erie has been a blend of bat, glove, and base-stealing bliss

Even as Kevin McGonigle shows more gloss at shortstop than most thought likely during a cover-boy rookie year, the Tigers appreciate help at an infield’s most sacred spot.

They might have it percolating at Double-A Erie.

Peyton Graham’s season has been something of an 87-game marvel: .296 batting average, blow-away good .411 on-base average, .420 slugging and .831 OPS, all with a cherry on top: 54 stolen bases, which is best in the Eastern League, and four ahead of Graham’s Erie fellow thief, Seth Stephenson.

There’s more for the Tigers front office, not to mention manager AJ Hinch, to like about Graham:

He can play second base as niftily as short. He also — hi, AJ — can play center field or left.

“It’s the versatility,” his manager, Tony Cappuccilli, said during a Friday phone conversation as the SeaWolves prepped for an evening game against Altoona at UPMC Park. “I can put him in center field for a game and you’re not losing any defense.

“It gives him a lot more opportunity on the offensive side, getting his at-bats, getting his hits, putting balls in play. He’s learned to conduct an at-bat (Graham hits right-handed). Right now, he’s in the leadoff spot. So, you get a talented guy leading off in front of Hope, Briceno, and Jenkins.”

Those latter three would be outfielder Zyhir Hope, who arrived this week following Saturday’s trade of Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers; Josue Briceno, the left-hand slugging catcher (and first baseman) who has parked four homers in five games this month; and Andrew Jenkins, the Georgia Tech ninth-rounder (2022) who plays first base and sports a .789 OPS.

Graham’s work in 2026 is in line with his draft status: He was the Tigers’ second-round pick in 2022, from the University of Oklahoma. The Tigers were thinking Graham, 25, by now might be part of their big-league infield orchestra.

But what a siege followed: shoulder, hamstring, ankle, and wrist ills, with the worst coming in 2023 when he was hit in the face by a pitch while playing for Low-A Lakeland, was concussed, and played in only 57 games.