Detroit Tigers Rule 5 Draft Pick Akil Baddoo Is Baseball’s Biggest Sensation Right Now

Akil Baddoo might be one of the easiest guys to root for in all of sports right now. The Detroit Tigers center fielder sat out 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, missed last season when the minor leagues didn’t play due to the pandemic, but he never gave up.

Baddoo was taken by the Tigers during the rule-5 Draft this Winter. He went on to have a torrid run in Spring Training, earning one of the last spots on the Tigers’ roster.

“If you think about it, he’s gone through so much,” Akil Baddoo’s mom, Akilah said via The Athletic. “And then this opportunity came and it was like, ‘This can’t be a joke. There’s a plan for you. You got to know that.’”

[sportsbookaffiliates]

And now, Baddoo is making the most of his opportunity. In his first at-bat in the MLB, Baddoo hit an opposite field home run on Sunday. His parents were in the stands to celebrate his incredible moment.

He would go on to hit another home run on Monday, and hit a walk-off single on Tuesday.

As if that wasn’t enough, Baddoo was at it again on Wednesday, sending an RBI triple into the gap in right-center field.

Baseball fans are losing it with Akil Baddoo’s sensational first week.

Nobody would have guessed that Akil Baddoo would have been the best story in baseball right now, but that’s where we’re at. He has sports fans everywhere tuned into his every at-bat with his incredible story and run at history.

You have to smile watching this kid play the game right now. Truly awesome stuff.


Welcome to the game outside the game! Follow us on our Sideaction Twitter handle, Instagram, and Facebook for the latest on sports and pop culture news across the web!

More from MLB, Side Action

More News & Stories