Ian Kinsler tends to be an extremely good baseball player in the first half of every season. And while he doesn’t fall off the face of the earth in the second half, historically, his numbers drop. Kinsler has 405 career first-half RBI, but only 281 career second-half RBI. He’s a career .284 hitter in the season’s first half, but only a .264 hitter in the second half.

This season has been different—much different.

The second baseman went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in a 9-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, dropping his average to an uncharacteristically low .258. This was a major flip-of-the-script as far as Kinsler was concerned. The former Texas Ranger generally puts up lower (comparatively) numbers in the second half—not the first.

Luckily for the Tigers, Kinsler took off after that. He collected three hits, including a double, while scoring a run, driving in another. He’s hit an absolutely scorching .385 (!) since with five home runs, three triples, 14 doubles and 31 runs scored in 41 games. Over that span he’s struck out a relatively low 19 times. You want another stat? Ok, here’s another one—his OPS since July 2^nd is 1.002.

Kinsler hit so well that manager Brad Ausmus moved him down to the third spot in the order in an attempt to re-solidify the offense. The hot streak couldn’t have come at a better time. Miguel Cabrera went down only a few days after Kinsler started raking and only returned recently. Throw in Victor Martinez’ struggles (.240 batting average, .698 OPS since July 1^st) and you start to wonder where Detroit would be without their second baseman.

If Monday’s rain delay-induced marathon was any indication, Kinsler isn’t slowing down. The four-time All-Star’s stat line: 5-for-5, three runs scored, two RBI and a home run—all the while seeing a joint-team high 25 pitches.

With Cabrera back in the lineup Kinsler is back in the second spot in the batting order, but that hasn’t slowed him down. In the four games since Cabrera returned, the second baseman is hitting .389 with four runs scored and three RBI.

With Cabrera hitting .333 since his return, not to mention an absurd 1.167 OPS, Detroit will be hoping the Kinsler-Cabrera two-headed monster in the team’s top third of the order will mean more runs and a push towards the playoffs. An offense can only do so much, but when a team has a catalyst displaying the hitting acumen Kinsler has shown as of late, it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Kinsler, Ian (noun) 1. #Tigers 2B 2. One who performs under pressure http://t.co/cux2PH94fH #walkoff pic.twitter.com/kQoFFuPyxm

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 6, 2015

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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