A Look At Top Tigers Prospects
ALSO: MOST OVERRATED AND UNDERRATED PLAYERS
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
When Lance McCullers, Jr. takes the mound for the Houston Astros tomorrow, it will be his first major-league appearance since the 2022 post-season, thanks mainly to a forearm injury that eventually needed surgical repair . . .
Lack of command was the reason the Reds sent closer Alexis Diaz (brother of Edwin) back to the minors . . .
Baltimore bounced 41-year-old Charlie Morton, to whom they guaranteed $15 million, from its rotation after he slid to 0-5 with an astronomical earned run average . . .
Corey Kluber, now retired, holds the record for most strikeouts in a game by a pitcher who did not pitch nine innings [18 in an eight-inning stint for Cleveland on May 13, 2015] . . .
In its infinite wisdom, the Pentagon removed Jackie Robinson’s military contributions from its website — then quickly reversed the error just as a huge protest was building.
Also removed were references to the Navajo Code Talkers and the Pima Indian marine who was one of six men to raise the Stars & Stripes at Iwo Jima.
Leading Off
Detroit Tigers: Prospect Check
By Joe Underhill
While most fans of the Detroit Tigers are focused on the success the major-league team is having, now is a good time to look at how the young Tigers are faring on the minor league fields. At the time of this writing the farm was a combined 56-45 with Double-A Erie (15-8) and High-A West Michigan (16-8). Let’s look at how some of the Tigers’ top prospects are faring in the minors.
Low-A Lakeland
Franyerber Montilla (2B), a switch-hitter, was a 2022 signing out of Venezuela. He came up as a shortstop but has been playing second base this season. If the bat continues to develop there is a path to time in Detroit. Currently he is slashing .288/.384/.411 with six steals. Montilla is currently ranked the 12th Tigers prospect by MLB.com.
A 2024 first-rounder, Bryce Rainer (SS), is making his adjustment to professional baseball at Lakeland. Currently Rainer is only hitting .205 but he offsets that by getting on base at a .340 clip. He’s played well at short (big reason why Montilla is playing second) and looks like he should be able to stick at the position. Rainer is currently ranked the 4th Tigers prospect and the 49th overall by MLB.com
On the pitching side, Hayden Minton has led the pitching staff and while he is “old” for this level (and is repeating it), if the 2023 9th rounder can continue pitching to a 1.00 ERA with a 23:1 K/BB. Minton is likely to be a middle reliever if he makes the major leagues, but he is a fun story to follow.
High-A West Michigan
The White Caps have a trifecta of exciting prospects led by 2023 third overall pick Max Clark. He got a taste of High-A last season and so far, he is showing he’ll be ready for a promotion soon. On the season Clark is slashing .304/.467/.392 with 15:24 K/BB ratio. He’s only got two steals and one home run on the year but expect those numbers to climb. Clark is currently ranked #2 Tigers prospect and #5 overall by MLB.com.
Josue Briceno blasted his way into the awareness of Tigers fans with his triple crown winning AFL season. The Tiger’s haven’t given up on Briceno being a catcher, but it is telling that he is splitting his time between catching and first base, with a few DH assignments mixed in. Briceno is slashing a healthy .250/.366/.476 with five home runs on the season. He has good plate discipline, and it is a matter of where is ultimate home will be on defense that is the biggest question. Briceno is currently ranked the #6 Tigers prospect and 91st overall by MLB.com.
Kevin McGonigle is the other headliner at West Michigan, but he has only been able to appear in one game due to injury. When healthy he is a high contact hitter with surprising power.
Reyner Castillo is not a household name yet. The 20-year-old signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2021 currently boasts an ERA of 3.71 with a WHIP of 1.25. Walks are an issue, but Castillo has elite stuff, and continued refinement could bring the Tigers a solid starter. Castillo is not currently ranked by MLB.com
Double-A Erie
Max Anderson is starting to show why the Tigers were happy to use a 2nd round pick in the 2023 draft. Anderson was drafted for his bat, which this season is producing at a .349/.393/.614 rate, which computes to a 1.007 OPS. He is putting up the power numbers while only striking out 13 times on the year. Anderson hasn’t walked a lot, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting on base and having a significant impact offensively. Defensively he is limited to second base (could be a candidate to get some reps at first base). Anderson is currently ranked the #22 Tigers prospect by MLB.com.
It can take a while for raw skills to translate into on-field success. The wait is paying off with outfielder Roberto Campos, who signed a franchise record bonus in 2019. It’s been a slow climb for Campos but everything, but the power has come together this season for him. He plays solid outfield defense and has the frame that would suggest there is more power in the bat then what has been seen so far. Campos is currently ranked the #21 Tigers prospect by MLB.com.
Troy Melton has had a good start to the season post a 1-0 record with a 2.18 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in five starts. The former 4th round pick features a five-pitch mix, with good command 20:5 K/BB ratio. Opponents are only hitting .224 off of him. Melton looks like a mid-rotation starter at the major league level. Melton is currently ranked the #11 Tigers prospect by MLB.com.
Triple-A Toledo
The AAA-MLB shuttle has been in full effect for the Tigers, especially with the number of injuries they have had early in the year. As a result, the number of players putting up significant numbers is limited. However, Riley Unroe has been playing really good baseball. On the year the former second round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays is slashing .316/.432/.421. Unroe is a depth piece, but it is always advantageous to have a guy who can step in when needed.
On the pitching front, Wilkel Hernandez is the name to watch. In five starts Hernandez is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Hernandez came to the Tigers via a trade with the Angels for Ian Kinsler back in 2017. Hernandez is still only 26 years old and while the Tigers have excellent rotational depth, he could factor into their plans if the injuries hit the rotation. He is not currently ranked by MLB.com.
Joe Underhill is a high school administrator and diehard baseball fan and fan of the city of Detroit. Joe currently writes for the HTP Newsletter. You can follow Joe on Twitter@TransplantedDet and @transplanteddet.bsky.social. Or write joeunderhill@auburn.org.
Cleaning Up
One Man’s Opinion on Overrated, Underrated Players
By Dan Schlossberg
Sometimes an innocent question requires considerable thought to answer.
That was the case other day when someone in my “Baseball: Ironies & Oddities” class at Bergen Community College’s ILR [Institute For Learning in Retirement] asked which players I thought were the most overrated and underrated in baseball.
There are obvious answers for both active and retired players. Plus others that are not so obvious.
Seizing the bull by the horns, here are my thoughts, based upon players I’ve seen during more than a half-century of covering the game:
Most underrated
Kirk Gibson — never made an All-Star team but did manage to win MVP awards for both a season (1988 NL) and a post-season (ALCS)
Dale Murphy — won consecutive MVPs, led majors in total bases during the 80s while finishing second in both homers and RBIs, but missed Hall of Fame
Andruw Jones — another Atlanta centerfielder overlooked for Cooperstown, he won a rare 10 straight Gold Gloves AND hit 434 home runs
Lou Whitaker — Second-base side of long-running Detroit DP tandem, was much better hitter than partner Alan Trammell, who’s already in Hall of Fame gallery
Keith Hernandez — Gifted first baseman and clutch hitter whose failure to produce more power is keeping him outside Cooperstown
Vada Pinson — Star Cincinnati outfielder overshadowed by Frank Robinson during their time together, he has a Hall of Fame case too
Joe Niekro — Overshadowed by brother Phil but should join him in Cooperstown
Steve Garvey — Did better with baseball voters than than Californians but can’t ignore his durability, 10 trips to the All-Star Game, 4 Gold Gloves, MVPs for both regular season and NLCS (twice), and World Series ring
Most overrated
1. Harold Baines — Steady as she goes but not Hall of Fame worthy
2. Bill Mazeroski — One well-timed home run went a long way
3. Dave Kingman — True one-dimensional player no team kept for long
4. Bruce Sutter — One big year as a closer, became answer to trivia question as first Hall of Fame pitcher who never started a game
5. Don Sutton — Just because Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale were teammates does not make him Hall of Fame material
6. Ozzie Smith — Cooperstown plaques should not be awarded for somersalt stunts
7. Kirby Puckett — Parlayed World Series performance into Hall of Fame spot
8. Al Kaline — Fine player who was youngest batting champ but fell short of 400-homer threshold
HtP weekend editor Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ will appear on MLB Now with Brian Kenny on Tuesday, May 12. Dan’s e.mail is ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia: Managers Are Hired to be Fired
“If Bobby Cox weren’t the one being fired today, he’d be my first choice as the new Atlanta manager.”
— Braves owner Ted Turner at the press conference announcing a managerial change
Cox came back, first as general manager, then as field manager again, and was at the helm when the team won a record 14 division crowns in a row . . .
He went into the Hall of Fame with the Class of 2014, along with Tony La Russa and Joe Torre, who had replaced him in Atlanta . . .
During his tenure as GM, Cox made several significant trades and brought a bevy of talented young players into the organization . . .
Those players included Hall of Fame pitchers Tom Glavine, a lefty starter lured to Atlanta by a big bonus, and John Smoltz, a struggling Class B pitcher in the Detroit system . . .
Cox left the GM slot for the field only after Turned hired John Schuerholz — also a future Hall of Famer — as GM.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles the Monday issue with Dan Freedman [dfreedman@lionsgate.com] editing Tuesday and Jeff Kallman [easyace1955@outlook.com] at the helm Wednesday and Thursday. Original editor Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com], does the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Former editor Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] is now co-director [with Benjamin Chase and Jonathan Becker] of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, which publishes this newsletter and the annual ACTA book of the same name. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HtP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.