While this will be the seventh year in a row the Detroit Tigers haven’t made the postseason, there is hope on the horizon. Some of their young pitchers have made the jump to the majors and pitched well. Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal have shown flashes of what is to come as they continue to improve. Matt Manning, aside from a nine-run clunker earlier in the year, has also been cutting his teeth this season. and has looked good.
The Tigers still have a few guys in the minors and did very well in the MLB Draft this year grabbing High-School stud Jackson Jobe and Texas ace Ty Madden in the first round. Detroit’s farm isn’t all arms though. They have a few position players who should be making their mark at Comerica very soon. Let’s take a look at the Tigers’ top prospects.
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Spencer Torkelson 3B/1B
Hit: 60
Power: 70
Run: 40
Arm: 50
Field: 50
The Arizona State slugger was the first overall pick last year and hasn’t disappointed. In his first taste of pro ball this year, the 21-year-old is slashing .274/.399/.540 with 19 doubles and 15 homers in 72 games. Torkelson has a quick and powerful right-handed stroke and his power comes easy without having to sacrifice plate discipline. Another plus is that the Tigers feel he can man third base as they have been impressed with his agility and quickness at the hot corner. Torkelson is the best-hitting prospect in baseball right now and he will be on the big club next season.
ETA: 2022
Riley Greene CF
Hit: 60
Power: 55
Run: 55
Arm: 50
Field: 55
The fifth overall pick in 2019 out of Hagerty HS in Florida, Greene has impressed with his explosive bat and fluid defense to the point where he is ranked #14 on MLB.com’s top 100. The 20-year-old is already in Double-A Erie and has slashed .279/.368/.456 with 10 bombs and 12 steals in 74 games. While he does have a little swing-and-miss in his stroke (28.5% K rate), he makes hard contact and gets the most out of the balls he puts in play. A well-rounded athlete, Greene should be manning centerfield for the foreseeable future in Detroit.
ETA: 2022
Dillon Dingler C
Hit: 45
Power: 50
Run: 55
Arm: 60
Field: 60
Dingler is not your average catcher. He has speed and played some centerfield for the Ohio State Buckeyes before being selected in the second round last year. While the Tigers haven’t moved him from behind the plate in the minors yet, he can certainly be at least an average defender out there given his speed. He has an acute understanding of the game and Detroit feels he will be an above-average catcher. His bat hasn’t shown up since his promotion to Double-A Erie, but the hope is that he taps into his power in-game from his 6-foot-3 frame.
ETA: 2023
Daniel Cabrera OF
Hit: 50
Power: 50
Run: 50
Arm: 55
Field: 55
A second-round pick out of LSU last year, Cabrera has played this season at A-Ball West Michigan. There have been some struggles but the 22-year-old has shown some flashes of a complete toolset. With six homers and six steals, he has a power-speed combo that will play well. Cabrera has manned all three outfield positions and has an excellent arm along with good instincts. While he probably won’t be a centerfielder as he moves up, Cabrera could certainly be an above-average defender at either corner spot.
ETA: 2023
Joey Wentz LHP
Fastball: 55
Curveball: 55
Changeup: 60
Command: 50
There was promise in 2019 when Wentz had a 37/4 K/BB rate in just five starts at Double-A Erie. After an unexpected year off due to Tommy John Surgery in March 2020, the lefty came back this year. He is still getting his command back and his control has been an issue this season. Nevertheless, the Tigers are still hopeful Wentz can turn into a back-of-the-rotation pitcher. Before surgery, he had limited stuff but made up for it with excellent command and knowledge of how to approach hitters.
ETA: 2023
What Does the Future Hold?
The aforementioned Jobe and Madden are right there with Wentz as a kind of 5A and 5B on this list. Parker Meadows is another name to watch out for as he moves up the ranks. He is probably two years away but the younger brother of Rays outfielder Austin Meadows has the skills to be good with some refinement. Alex Faedo has looked like a work still in progress but he can be a great bullpen piece for Detroit.
***Note – I left Daz Cameron and Manning off this list due to them playing in the majors this season.***
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