Tigers Top 30 prospects (according to MLB):
30. Trei Cruz – Nice bloodlines but he hasn’t done anything in the minors. Mendoza line all the way up to AA Erie tells me not a prospect. Maybe a utility guy at best?
29. Izaac Pacheco – has power… but if the hit tool is Mendoza-line, power means nothing. Not enough here for me to be interested. Non-prospect unless he figures something out in the batters’ box.
28. Blake Dickerson – Paid the Padres $500K for him? 6’6” LH’er from 2023-12th round (Padres) but no stats yet. If he does anything maybe he’ll pop up on everyone’s radar? But right now… nothing to see.
27. Tyler Mattison – I like his K-rate and K-BB-ratio. BB-rate is too high, but 13K’s to 4.3 BB’s = a 3-1 ratio. Never a starter, bullpen only candidate. But I like the high heat so I like Tyler Mattison.
26. Christian Santana – I actually like him. But… performance counts so with his below-the-Mendoza-line (so far) stat-line = not enough to be interesting, IMO. Still only 20, maybe he has time on his side?
25. Peyton Graham – Not enough here to be interesting, IMO.
24. Roberto Campos. I actually like him… but similar to Santana, performance counts. Sitting at a .720-ish OPS from the get-go, worse this year at .640 in a repeat-level W Mich. At this point not an interesting prospect. But he IS supposed to have more power and, at a still-young 21 at High-A? I don’t know, maybe I’ll just give him a vote of confidence and see if he can live up to it? Sure, I’ll put him on BOLD.
23. Dylan Smith – Just has never done anything for me to consider him a prospect. I liked the “idea” of him when he was drafted… but… nothing to see here IMO. 24 y.o. and struggling in high-A equals “will crap ou”, IMO.
22. Carson Rucker – only 19 years old so… I have no opinion until I can see something.
21. Eddys Leonard – Seems like he could be a bit useful as a utility guy but I don’t see anything more than that…
20. Wenceel Perez – Loved this guy since 2017.
19. Enrique Jimenez – Nothing here to grab the imagination.
18. Josue Briceno – I remember the signing but he sort of wasn’t on my radar; but he’s been hitting up a storm so maybe I need to pay more attention? Great BB-K-Rate ratio: ~12% BB rate (stateside) and 14% K-rate? Looks like a decently high hit tool as well (only in Low-A so far but only 19 in Low-A?!)? I’ll declare him a prospect even if the Org is uncertain if he can stay at Catcher. They’ve been trying him at 1st too. But “have bat” means the Org will find him a spot somewhere, if he makes it all the way up. Long way to go… but I’ll give him a BOLD.
17. Max Anderson – He has a bat (hit tool), which is why Harris drafted him. But I don’t know what else there is… He’s not an ace fielder and looks more likely to be a DH-only? Not enough here to call out my interest… unless the bat starts to really smoke.
16. Paul Wilson – Trevor Wilson’s kid? Well that’s interesting. But the Org right now is working on him (so no stats) and he throws low-90’s but may have some projectable velocity as a 6’3” Lefty… But until we can see something, I won’t declare anything. Incomplete.
15. Brant Hurter - He’s a huge lefty 6’5” 250#’s but throws low 90’s so, not a power guy. Low walk rate is a plus. Really good slider as far as I know and a decent changeup… but he seems fringy to me so either a 5th starter or a middle reliever. I think he ends up in the bullpen. Which is good enough to call him a prospect, right? I’ll BOLD him regardless, as a fringy bullpen/possible 5th starter-type prospect.
14. Hao-Yu-Lee – Another decent bat acquired by Harris. But I don’t see a major leaguer here. Maybe a bench guy? But I also have a theory: Harris wants the high hit tool guys in the system, even if they never make it to MLB, because he wants these guys to influence OTHERS in the system… Have a prevalence of high hit tool guys who know how to take a walk… so to speak. But Lee is not a prospect… IMO.
13. Dillon Dingler – I thought he was supposed to have a higher hit tool… but, apparently, he does not. Still, he has the looks of another Jake Rogers (2.0) here: Big arm, good defensive catcher (not certain how Dingler ranks here, I know he was a work-in-process defensively), low batting average (if he’s a .240 hitter in MLB it’s probably good enough), with power but limited ability to get to the power (from the low contact rate…). A prospect here but not a high-end guy.
12. Justice Bigbie – I don’t know if he’s a prospect, or not. Had a nice year last year from High-A all the way up to AAA. But I just don’t feel he’ll be Carpenter 2.0. Another 19th rounder… but I think that’s about it for the nice feel good story side. Maybe he gets some bench time in Detroit… But I just don’t feel there’s enough here to call him out as a prospect. So I won’t. If he gets some quality MLB time… good for him.
11. Troy Melton – He’s interesting as the Org has worked hard to develop him. Opposite of Hurter: a righty, mid-90’s and can reach for upper-90’s… but he has such a long way to go development-wise that I think I have to bucket him the same as Hurter: Maybe a 5th starter, or even a 4th is in his future, but more likely bullpen. It’s enough to call him a prospect though. BOLD him.
10. Sawyer Gipson-Long –Has some interesting characteristics and he pitched well last year at Erie (5-1 K-BB ratio 1.01 WHIP), and I know he pitched well for Detroit last year as a starter: 3.25 ERA 1.1 WHIP… I don’t know if he has the staying power to remain in the rotation though. Technically, he’s a prospect. And at least on a par with Hurter and Melton (only he’s “proved it” at a higher level, which is why he is ahead of them and “Top 10”): I don’t see him as hugely different though. So BOLD him. He’s good enough for Detroit so he’s good enough for me.
9. Wilmer Flores – Looks like another bullpen candidate to me. So technically, a prospect. BOLD him up.
8. Keider Montero – Another bullpen candidate, IMO. But he has a wicked curveball which may give him a rotation edge… except there are Detroit guys in front of him so I don’t see him getting there in the near future. A prospect: fringy 5th starter/ bullpen?
7. Justyn-Henry Malloy – I’ll call him a prospect because of his bat; but I’m never enamored with DH-types. So, technically a prospect but certainly not a favorite of mine.
6. Kevin McGonigle – I love his hit tool. And he’s a decent fielder. Most likely won’t be able to stick at SS but that’s OK. First prospect since Briceno that I actually have high hopes for. I’m on his bandwagon.
5. Ty Madden – Another bullpen candidate with maybe a 5th starter chance… I do have him ahead of the Montero/ Flores/ SGL/ Hurter crowd though. Melton may be just as good, or better, but with a much longer development curve, I think. Feel free to disagree… But I will make no judgement except: proof is in the pudding. He’ll show himself what level he can, or cannot attain. I will state that I am on his bandwagon… but he has an uncertain future (IMO).
4. Jace Jung – First guy I can look at as a high-end prospect that ALSO is nearly in Detroit. I’ll put him on a par with Keith: will probably struggle as he adjusts to MLB pitching, ultimately will prove to have an MLB bat, won’t be a spectacular fielder but will be good enough. If he’s good enough to take over any one position (2B, 3B, or even 1B if it comes to that…), I will be satisfied. I’m on his bandwagon.
3. Jackson Jobe – I still think he has ace material… but he’s struggling somewhat along the way. I’ll give him a vote of confidence: BOLD him.
2. Colt Keith – Has yet to prove he can hit in MLB well enough to own 2B as a starter. But I think his bat will heat up and he’ll prove out… We’ll see. BOLD him; I’m on his bandwagon.
1. Max Clark – A long ways away still… But I like what I see so far and will be patient as he goes through his learning curve… Bandwagon fan.
I was being facetious... I get that... But... I still wanna inflict maximum damage in any way possible...