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Sawyer Gipson-Long
When the Tigers acquired Gipson-Long in exchange for Michael Fulmer at last year’s trade deadline, most fans didn’t bat an eye. Gipson-Long was never the kid who grew up decked out in Perfect Game attire and attending all the biggest showcase tournaments. He wasn’t a hyped draftee or a minor leaguer who appeared on top prospect rankings. What he did do was keep improving.
This season, Gipson-Long posted a 3.74 ERA in Double-A Erie. He earned a promotion to Toledo, where he had a 5.45 ERA but also impressed with 13 K/9 in eight outings. He added a sinker and cutter to his arsenal and tweaked his changeup grip. “This is a great organizational win,” Hinch said. “We think he had some untapped potential. We make him better. He buys in. He’s changed a little bit of everything from his attack plan to some of his pitch shapes. To see him go out and really earn his way here, it’s exactly the story we love to share.”
He definitely smiles a lot in photos. I took out the crease lines and wholly eliminated the smile the first time, but he looked too generic. Redid him tonight and am going to stick with this one.
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