If you have Colt Keith on your team and you held onto him after his first month as an MLB player, congratulations! You are one of the smart people who could see the potential in Keith and not hit the panic button.

Keith entered the season as one of the top prospects in baseball, ranking 28th, 22nd and 22nd by Baseball America, MLB and Baseball Prospectus, respectively.

Keith intended to play at Arizona State University of high school but opted to sign with the Tigers after being drafted in the fifth round in the 2020 draft. With no minor league games being played that season, he made his professional debut in 2021 and played at three different levels, starting at Rookie ball and finishing at High-A.

In 62 games overall he slashed .270/.381/.367 with two homers and 27 RBI. In 2022, Keith was playing for High-A West Michigan and slashing .301/.370/.544 with nine homers and 31 RBI in 48 games before suffering a season-ending injury in June when diving back to the base on a pickoff attempt. Last year he split time between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo and slashed .306/.380/.552 with 27 homers and 101 RBI in 126 games combined.

The Tigers knew they had a gem in Keith and rewarded him with a six-year deal that pays him more than $28.5 million. With club options and escalators, the deal could be as much as $82 million over nine years.

Let’s see why the Tigers and people like me believe Keith is a top Up-and-Coming Dynasty Player.