Apple Doesn't Fall Far From Inge Family Tree

Wolverine freshman shortstop Tyler Inge plays fun, upbeat game with outstanding defense and potent offense -- just like father Brandon Inge did for Detroit Tigers

Photo Courtesy of University of Michigan Photography

Michigan freshman shortstop Tyler Inge batting in a scrimmage at Fisher Stadium. He was a All-State first team selection in 2024 for Detroit Country Day — where he set a single-season school record for hits.

Photo Courtesy of Detroit Tigers

Brandon Inge, voted onto the 2009 American League All-Star team by fans, had 152 homers and 648 RBI in the majors and batted .353 for the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 World Series. Detroit drafted him out of Virginia Commonwealth University in the second round in 1998.

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Tyler Inge was planning to wear No. 7 for the University of Michigan baseball team. It’s the number he wore as an All-State shortstop at Detroit Country Day, but it was already being worn by Wolverines senior outfielder Joe Longo.

Inge said, “So, I was like, ‘Fifteen is open. I might as well choose 15 to be like my dad.’ ”

That was the number worn by his father, Brandon Inge, during most of his 11-plus seasons with the Detroit Tigers. He hit .353 in the 2006 World Series and was an All-Star in 2009, when he posted career-highs of 27 homers and 84 RBI.

Inge was a fabulous fielder at third base, but also played catcher quite a bit and all three outfield positions. I covered much of his career for MLive.com and FOXSportsDetroit.com, and he was the team leader on clubs sporting at least four future Hall of Famers.

We were able to reconnect when Inge served as a volunteer assistant coach under Michigan baseball coach Erik Bakich in 2021 and 2022. His oldest son committed to Bakich as a Country Day freshman in 2021.

“I loved it,” Tyler said of Michigan, while adding he did wonder then if he was taken because his father was on the coaching staff. “I was super excited. I would come here and hit all the time, and loved every second of it. Bakich and [assistant head coach Nick] Schnabel were awesome.

“They were great dudes who knew a lot about baseball, and I had no hesitation in coming here. The expectations after you commit are huge, but that was awesome.”

Tyler said he didn’t hesitate in staying with Michigan after Bakich left for Clemson in 2023, and was replaced by former Indiana and Arizona State coach Tracy Smith – who recruited a pair of future high first-round draft picks in Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies and Spencer Torkelson of the Detroit Tigers.

“Obviously,” said Tyler, “my options were open. But I stayed committed even when I didn’t know what the coaching staff was going to be. Coach Smith called me immediately, and Skip’s a great dude who knows a lot of baseball. I love that guy. He’s helped me a lot, and outside of baseball, too. I’ll have a conversation with him when I’m struggling.”

Upon getting the job, Smith called Inge.

Inge recalled: “He said, ‘We’re going to come watch you play, and if we like you, we’re going to honor your scholarship.’ He came down to see me play for East Cobb [Baseball] in Georgia, and said, ‘We like the way you play. I want to honor your scholarship.’ So, I came here. It was awesome.”

Inge said he was wearing Wolverines garb in many of the photos of him taken at Tigers games, and he’s always rooted for the maize and blue. He was raised right next door to Ann Arbor in Saline, and the family now lives in nearby Brighton.

“I was a big fan of the 2019 team,” said Inge, referring to the Michigan baseball team that reached the championship round of the College World Series before losing a three-game series to Vanderbilt.

He paused and smiled before adding, “This is going to sound a little weird. But [catcher] Joe Donovan was my favorite player. He was one of the main reasons I wanted to come here. Now, he’s a coach here and I’ve been picking his brain and talking about everything.

“He’s one of the smartest people I know. And he was a lot of fun as a player. Remember that little headband he used to wear and that puffy hair he had? I just liked the way he played. He had so much fun and was super loose when he played. That’s kind of the way I play or want to play. I want to be loose and have fun playing.”

Donovan, who reached Triple-A in the Cleveland Guardians’ organization, retired in July and is finishing his degree as a student assistant coach.

Inge has enjoyed getting to know the player he admired as a coach and friend.

“We’re pretty good friends,” Inge said. “He’s a big conspiracy theorist, and I like picking his brain about those [laughter]. Every day, I’m talking infield and hitting with him, and he knows every ounce of the game.”

Donovan said, “Tyler’s awesome. He’s extremely talented and he’s funny and he’s happy. I’ve never seen him pouty or down. He’s always asking for extra work. He’s just really motivated and is a great kid.”

Inge’s father retired from the majors in 2013, and so he’s been there for his son from the very beginnings of his playing career.

“I’m basically a recreation of him,” said Tyler. “Everything that he did – that’s what he’s taught me to do. ‘Play the right way. Play fun. Play loose.’ The same way Joe played, too. So, that’s how I play. Everything I do is pretty much the teaching of my dad.“

Smith said Inge is in the running to start at shortstop – where he also brought in Loyola Marymount graduate transfer Benjamin Casillas, who hit .295 last year with 37 RBI, 14 steals and 28 runs scored.

“Tyler’s a tremendous talent,” said Smith. “I think he’s going to be really, really good. Probably one of the better arms in the infield that we’ve had in a long time. And the plan with him is working exactly how we wanted.”

Smith said he hit the transfer portal to obtain veteran players who would give his young players a chance to develop rather than being thrown into the fire of top-flight competition.

“But let’s let them compete,” added Smith, “and at the end of the day, the best man is going to start. Objectively, at the end of the day, Benny Casillas is going to start for us in the opener. He had a very consistent fall. Again, nothing against Tyler, but Benny has a lot of starts in two seasons as a D-1 shortstop. So, maybe he should be ahead of him based on that.

“But that’s going to be an interesting thing because Tyler has a bright, bright future ahead of him not only at Michigan, but certainly beyond at the next level. But right now, there’s also things he can be learning from Benny at the college level.”

The shortstop Inge admires is Phillies All-Star Trea Turner.

“I try to model my game after him,” said Inge. “He’s fast, plays the game the right way, is always loose, and has fun all the time. I like to watch guys who take the game seriously but have fun. They go 0-for-4, they’re still smiling. It’s a fun game, but it’s also one of the hardest games to play. You’ve always got tomorrow to play.”

Michigan opens the season Friday against Virginia, the No. 2 team in D1 Baseball’s preseason rankings, in the Puerto Rico Challenge being played in Ponce and Caguas.

“My goal for this year is that I want to play and get on the field as much as I can,” said Inge. “And get some experience for next year. I want to make an impact, but this year I want to learn as much as I can. We have an older team, and they’ve all been great. They took me in as a brother as soon as I got here in September.”