Detroit Tigers top 10 prospects for 2019
The Detroit Tigers are finally in the midst of a long-needed rebuild. Is the talent beginning to filter toward the major league level already?
We are in our third offseason at Call to the Pen of putting together top 10 prospect lists for every organization in baseball. Today’s list is the Detroit Tigers.
The Process
Our team prospect lists are compiled by Benjamin Chase, who has spent time doing plenty of watching via MiLB.tv of every organization in baseball along with talking to a very wide array of scouts who have seen players in person to hone his own opinion on players. That allows for a wide coverage on players from the Dominican Summer League all the way to the major leagues.
These lists are the opinion of Ben, and his process is heavily weighted on his own view, but also on trusted views of others. Typically, each system’s list of 10 is peeled down from a consideration list of 50-75 players. There will be some weight given to a player who is closer to the major leagues, but often these opinions will be different than some of the “major” lists out there. Feel free to comment at the end of the list with any questions you may have!
With that out of the way, let’s dig into today’s list:
Detroit Tigers system review
Tigers list for 2017
Tigers list for 2018
Tigers 2018 minor league top performers
After an extended run that utilized the farm system exactly the way the farm system should be used by a team in the hunt on a yearly basis, the Detroit Tigers have reached the end of their competitive window. They didn’t reach it gracefully, leaving some still-nasty big league deals that are essentially untradeable, but virtually any veteran that had value has now been shipped out.
That leaves pressure now on the Detroit Tigers farm system to produce talent, and while the team was never plentiful with prospects during their run, one thing consistent about the team was that there were always excellent players flowing through the farm system that could either work their way to the big league club or be key pieces in a trade.
The pitching side of things has certainly progressed much more quickly than the hitting side, but the Tigers do have some intriguing players working their way up the system.
Let’s start with the countdown, starting with a player that fell outside of the top 10, but was picked up in 2018 via the draft or international signing and is worthy of extra attention going into 2019…
10. Kody Clemens, 2B
Birthday: 5/15/1996 (22)
Acquired: Draft, 3rd round, 2018
Level(s): low-A West Michigan, high-A Lakeland
Statistics: .288/.365/.450, 52 G, 220 PA, 12 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 4 SB, 10.5% BB, 17.7% K
The son of long-time major league pitcher Roger Clemens, Kody Clemens could be the best of the Clemens brothers as the youngest. Drafted late by the Houston Astros out of high school, Clemens instead chose to follow the family line and attend the University of Texas, where he starred until the Detroit Tigers plucked him in the 3rd round this year.
Clemens is never going to win a Gold Glove in the field, but he makes all the plays he should at second base and has enough bat that he could move to a more bat-reliant position. He is getting more comfortable with his arm after returning from 2016 Tommy John surgery to the field in 2018, and he has flashed an above-average arm before surgery.
That bat is what caught plenty of attention. He was jumped over complex leagues directly to full-season ball in the Midwest League, but he came out and hit as if he absolutely belonged at that level without any previous pro experience. Clemens did run into more difficulty in the pitching-friendly Florida State League.
While Kody has good zone recognition, he has a fairly long swing to generate his power, which made his .302 average in the Midwest League a surprise, and he could settle more into a .260 type of hitter, but his power is real, and his baseball IQ is extremely high, which should allow him to continue to move quickly through the Detroit Tigers system in 2019.
10. Jake Rogers, C
Birthday: 4/18/1995 (23)
Acquired: Trade with the Houston Astros, August 2017
Level(s): AA Erie
Statistics: .219/.305/.412, 99 G, 408 PA, 15 2B, 17 HR, 7 SB, 10% BB, 27.5% K
Tulane isn’t exactly a baseball powerhouse, but Jake Rogers was one of the most highly-regarded catchers in what was a very impressive college catching class in the 2016 draft. The Houston Astros grabbed him in the 3rd round, and he was able to jump immediately over complex leagues.
Rogers’ defensive maturity allowed him to finish his draft season in low-A and move through both A-ball levels in 2017 in his first full season. In both seasons, Rogers showed plenty of defensive skills, cutting down runners at a near-elite rate and showing power.
In his first taste of upper minors, more of the holes in Rogers’ swing were exposed in 2018, and those will continue to be a part of his profile doing forward. Rogers has a long swing, and though he has a good idea of the zone, he will likely always struggle to hit for good contact.
Defensively, Rogers is one of the best prospects in the minor leagues currently behind the plate. He has thrown out over half of all baserunners who have attempted to steal against him in his minor league career, and that’s due to a plus arm, but primarily due to elite instincts and footwork behind the plate.
Rogers will likely spend 2019 in AAA, and he could get some big league time during the season. With James McCann likely to get pretty expensive in the next couple of seasons, Rogers could be the future behind the plate as soon as the 2020 season.
8. Christin Stewart, OF
Birthday: 10/10/1993 (24)
Acquired: Draft, 1st round, 2015
Level(s): GCL Tigers East, GCL Tigers West, AAA Toledo, MLB Detroit Tigers
Statistics: Minors: .263/.363/.488, 125 G, 532 PA, 21 2B, 3 3B, 25 HR, 12.8% BB, 20.3% K; Majors: .267/.375/.417, 17 G, 72 PA, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 13.9% BB, 18.1% K
Coming out of the University of Tennessee, many saw Christin Stewart as an advanced power bat that should move quickly. The Detroit Tigers certainly agreed, drafting Stewart in the first round with the 34th overall pick.
Power has never been an issue for Stewart as advertised, but he has struggled with consistent contact in his minor league career, never posting a .270 batting average in a full season. In spite of that, Stewart has never been a high strikeout guy, so he’s not going to be a guy to hurt the lineup.
The reason Stewart has taken so long to move up the farm system, in spite of his relative health, power production, and good zone recognition along the way is that Stewart is a rough defender, to say the least. He worked very hard, to his credit, to improve as a defender, but even then, he graded out as average at his best showing.
Stewart and Nick Castellanos in the same outfield would simply not be a kind thing to do to Detroit Tigers pitchers, so now that Victor Martinez has retired, there should be a spot for one of the two to DH while the other plays in the outfield each day. He may not hit for a big average, but Stewart should give a good OBP and power in the lineup.
7. Beau Burrows, RHP
Birthday: 9/18/1996 (22)
Acquired: Draft, 1st, 2015
Level(s): AA Erie
Statistics: 10-9, 26 GS, 134 IP, 4.10 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9.8% BB, 22.2% K
Drafting a high school arm is often a crap shoot, as the high upside in 3 years can turn into injury-riddled sadness, explode into brilliance, or find all ends of results in between. The route that Beau Burrows has taken since being selected 22nd overall by the Detroit Tigers in the 2015 draft out of high school in Texas is an unusual one.
The path is unusual because Burrows was projected to be a durable mid-rotation starter at his drafting, and he’s filled out and developed as just that – a durable guy who may not ever be a frontline guy, but he’ll take the ball each time through the rotation and keep the team in the game every time through.
Burrows works with a fastball that sits in the 92-95 range, touching 96-97. He has good spin on his four-seamer, giving him good results throwing the pitch up into the zone. He utilizes both a slow curve and a sharp slider, though both are more average in their depth and snap. His change would actually work better if Burrows was a two-seamer dominant pitcher as it works very well low in the zone with good late movement low in the zone, but Burrows tends to work the sides of the middle of the plate with his fastball and up in the zone and use his offspeed stuff low, so the change plays worse than it truly is.
His ability to sequence his pitches and confidence in each of them to throw them in any count is a big asset for Burrows and allows him to generate plenty of early, weak contact. However, utilizing his fastball primarily in the middle and upper parts of the zone does allow him to get hit hard at times.
The sturdy frame and repertoire of Burrows have produced steady results, though his delivery would suggest he should have more variability as there is still some work to do in cleaning his delivery. Due to that, he could end up a 3-pitch reliever in the long-run, but he’s been able to make it work at every level so far, and he should get a shot at AAA in 2019.
6. Daz Cameron, OF
Birthday: 1/15/1997 (21)
Acquired: Trade with Houston Astros, August 2017
Level(s): high-A Lakeland, AA Erie, AAA Toledo
Statistics: .264/.343/.406, 126 G, 534 PA, 25 2B, 9 3B, 8 HR, 24 SB, 9.7% BB, 25.7% K
Originally drafted by the Houston Astros in a move that gave him a significant signing bonus out of high school in Georgia in 2015, Daz Cameron has long been connected to his father Mike Cameron and compared to him. Whether that’s fair or not, that’s going to be the fate of any son of a former MLB ballplayer.
On his own merits, Cameron is an incredible athlete, with raw plus power and raw double-plus speed. However, turning that raw athleticism into polish on the field has been a challenge for Cameron, finally seeing progress over the last two seasons after two years in the minors showing struggles.
Defensively, Cameron may not be the defender that his father is, but he has good instincts and plays above-average defense in center with enough arm to handle either corner. That defensive versatility gives him a high floor when combined with his raw offensive tools.
It’s polishing those offensive tools that will determine Daz’s future path. He jumped up three levels of the Detroit Tigers system in 2018 with solid production that would play well at the top of the order. He does need to polish his base-stealing instincts, but his plus speed would allow him to be a factor on the basepaths with some additional work.
He should be able to work his way to the majors in 2019 at some point, likely opening either at AA or AAA this year, but without a clear answer for the future in center in Detroit, Cameron could establish himself with a big 2019.
5. Alex Faedo, RHP
Birthday: 11/12/1995 (23)
Acquired: Draft, 1st round, 2017
Level(s): high-A Lakeland, AA Erie
Statistics: 5-10, 24 GS, 121 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 7% BB, 22% K
After an injury-riddled Florida early career, Alex Faedo was ridden hard while healthy in 2017 by the Gators as they won the College World Series. That led to the Detroit Tigers choosing not to have him pitch in his draft season after selecting him 18th overall in the 2017 draft.
Faedo made his pro debut in high-A, which was a sign of just how advanced Faedo is on the mound. His pro debut finished up in AA, which is incredibly impressive.
That debut had some definite positives, but there were some significant concerns. The biggest concern was the velocity dip. A guy who threw 92-95 in college and could touch 96-97 was sitting 2-3 ticks lower all season. The velocity was similar in his slider, but the incredible snap on the pitch that he was known for wasn’t there, and his above-average change played the same, but with the other pitches not as sharp around it, the change wasn’t as effective, which led to Faedo being more hittable.
All that said, Faedo showed incredible composure on the mound, and he battled through very well to lead to his 1.14 WHIP, keeping hitters off base, in spite of his lessened raw stuff.
If the velocity drop is a new normal, Faedo’s future role will have to be re-evaluated as a likely back-end starter/swingman, but if he can recover that arm speed, he has the chance to be a very good mid-rotation arm.
4. Franklin Perez, RHP
Birthday: 12/6/1997 (20)
Acquired: Trade with Houston Astros, August 2017
Level(s): GCL Tigers East, high-A Lakeland
Statistics: 0-2, 7 GS, 19 1/3 IP, 6.52 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 9.8%, 17.1% K
When the Detroit Tigers traded away franchise icon Justin Verlander, Franklin Perez was the centerpiece of the deal. An injury-riddled 2018 took away Tigers fans’ first chance to really see the young fireballer their team had acquired.
Perez missed time with a lat strain and then had shoulder issues once he returned, leading the Detroit Tigers to shut him down for the year. He will be ready for spring training, and the Tigers hope to see him flash that big arm he gave glimpses of in 2017.
At his best, Perez works with a fastball that sits 91-93 and can touch 95-97 with impressive movement that sometimes can be difficult for Perez to control. The best offspeed pitch for Perez is a change that has been graded as plus with impressive movement low in the zone.
Perez works with a slider that he had started to really get a feel for in 2017 and a curve that’s been graded as fringe-plus. Getting the feel for his breaking pitches will be key for Perez as a big carrying tool for him is plus control, and the ability to locate his offspeed pitches is vital.
The Detroit Tigers will be cautious with Perez, but if he shows he’s ready to be pushed, they’ll likely allow him to push himself up to the upper minors.
2. Casey Mize, RHP
Birthday: 5/1/1997 (21)
Acquired: Draft, 1st round, 2018
Level(s): GCL Tigers West, high-A Lakeland
Statistics: 0-1, 5 GS, 13 2/3 IP, 3.95 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 5.5% BB, 25.5% K
While not considered a front-runner to open the 2018 college season, it took very little time for Casey Mize to move to the front of the 2018 draft class, and he remained there for the remainder of the spring, making the Detroit Tigers selection at #1 overall more of a formality than actual intrigue.
Mize set a record with a $7.5 million signing bonus, and the Tigers are hoping he’s worth every penny. He certainly showed his worth at Auburn in 2018, but a heavy college workload led to not a lot of pro innings yet for Tigers fans to dig into.
The best pitch for Mize is a split-finger fastball that had some believing that even if he didn’t answer durability questions in 2018, he could be an elite closer.
Mize is very smart with his ability to manipulate all of his pitches, starting with his fastballs. He works with a fastball that touches 97 and sits 91-94. He can change grips a bit on the pitch to make it cut, sink, fade, or do all sorts of things.
The best secondary pitch for Mize is a plus slider that he can manipulate to sweep or have a sharp break as well. The ability to manipulate his pitches allows Mize to battle in-game tremendously well. He also uses plus control to fill the zone with all of his pitches.
Mize will likely open in high-A and move quickly to AA in 2019. The Detroit Tigers will hope to see him in 2020, and certainly by 2021.
1. Matt Manning, RHP
Birthday: 1/28/1998 (20)
Acquired: Draft, 1st round, 2016
Level(s): low-A West Michigan, high-A Lakeland, AA Erie
Statistics: 7-8, 22 GS, 117 2/3 IP, 3.29 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 10.5% BB, 31.6% K
The son of a former NBA player, Matt Manning drew plenty of interest coming into the 2016 draft due to his big-time athleticism along with a huge fastball. The Detroit Tigers took a chance on developing Manning with the 9th overall selection in the draft.
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With a 6’6″ frame that he’s filled out some, Manning takes a big stride toward the plate, appearing on top of the hitter when he releases his mid-90s fastball, which makes it appear even bigger. He has touched upper-90s in the past but works in the 92-96 range more frequently now with that extension to the plate making the pitch appear even harder.
Coming out of high school, Manning was really a two-pitch guy, with a curve that worked in the low-80s and could get silly swings from hitters. Working to have consistent control of the curve has been a challenge as a pro, but the pitch is still an effective swing and miss weapon.
Manning uses an unorthodox delivery that works for him, and his athleticism allows him to adapt well to coaching. The Tigers have seen him make adjustments well in the offseason and in-season through coaching already, and if he can continue to utilize those adjustments and build on the development of his changeup, he has the ceiling of a top of the rotation arm if he can get his control and 3rd pitch both working for him.
Next. 2018 Minors All-Star team. dark
While the presence of Miguel Cabrera on the major league club may give the impression otherwise, these are rebuilding Detroit Tigers, and they should see a collection of their young talent begin to influence the major league level in 2019.