Detroit Tigers Thread: Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Celemo, Apr 9, 2015.

  1. MG2

    MG2 I like to give away joy for free
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    We signed one last year (Christian Santana) who has a chance to be really good.

    We're spending bigger money on higher ranked guys in recent years. No one has popped through the minors yet, though.
     
  2. MG2

    MG2 I like to give away joy for free
    Donor

    If we're signing a high priced guy in the international market, history says there's about an 80% chance he plays SS.
     
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  3. Vinegar Strokes

    Vinegar Strokes Fire Izzo
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    Remember when Avila hid Roberto Campos in his basement, and tried to tell the media he was some big kept secret star they didn’t want anyone to know about. That was great.
     
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  4. DeToxRox

    DeToxRox Uncle T
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  5. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    Freep article on some prior international signees:
    Detroit Tigers prospect Manuel Sequera, Florida Complex League MVP, felt 'confident' in 2021 Manuel Sequera is a name to know.

    The Detroit Tigers identified Sequera, from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, as a high-potential player in the 2019 international class and signed him July 2, the first day of that year's signing period, for a $125,000 bonus.

    "I'm proud to play for the Tigers," Sequera said Friday, with his agent, Jose Luis Montero, translating. Sequera was scheduled to travel from Venezuela to the Dominican Republic and report to the Tigers' academy in San Pedro de Macoris on Saturday. That's where the 19-year-old will work out until minor-league spring training begins in Lakeland, Florida. He should start the 2022 season in Low-A Lakeland.

    Sequera started his professional career in 2020 without playing in any games because the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the minor-league season, including the Dominican Summer League. He spent the entire year training at the Dominican academy.

    "That was hard for his mother," said Montero, who operates Future Stars Baseball Academy in Venezuela. "I always talked to his mom. She's a very good friend of mine. She was always crying, 'I need my boy. I need my boy.' I said, 'He needs to play baseball. He needs to be there.' Venezuela is really tough for those guys, due to the situation. I would like them to stay in the Dominican or the States like 11 months out of the year. They don't need to be here. Venezuela is dangerous. It's really tough for those guys to live here and try to do something better for them."

    "My motivation is my family," Sequera said. "Everything they did for me when I was younger, that motivates me to be in the majors one day."

    When the 2021 campaign came around, the Tigers skipped Sequera past the Dominican Summer League and into the Florida Complex League. It was the 6-foot-2, 204-pound shortstop's first time in the United States.

    "I feel like I'm a good hitter," said Sequera, whose physical projection could move him away from shortstop, according to one American League scout with ample time watching him. "I like leadership on the field. I like to be in the game, taking control of the game. My defense is good."

    Sequera, a right-handed hitter, hit .246 with 12 doubles, 11 home runs, 40 RBIs, 15 walks and 57 strikeouts in 46 games, adding a .314 on-base percentage and a .505 slugging percentage.

    Facing the FCL Toronto Blue Jays on Sept. 4, Sequera drilled three home runs — one each in the first, third and fifth innings — in his team's 6-3 victory. He had two homers against right-handed starter Dahian Santos and one against righty reliever Connor Cooke.

    "I didn't put pressure on myself," Sequera said. "I was confident. I wanted to work hard to get the experience and do my best for my first season with the Tigers."

    Sequera started 39 games at shortstop and six at designated hitter. His arm strength is his best defensive attribute, which is why a transition to third base is the plan if his body outgrows the shortstop position.

    For his efforts, Sequera was named 2021 Florida Complex League MVP. He tied for first in home runs (11) and extra-base hits (23) and tied for third in RBIs (40) among all players in the FCL and Arizona Complex League.

    "It was really good for me to have some good results, for my career and for the team," Sequera said. "When I got the MVP, I had the confidence to keep moving, to keep growing. I don't want to only get the MVP for the 2021 season. I want to keep working to get the MVP for the next year of my career."

    Outfielder Roberto Campos, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Tigers' No. 8 overall prospect, also spent 2021 in the Florida Complex League. While Sequera — unranked by MLB Pipeline — played for FCL Tigers East, Campos took the field for FCL Tigers West.

    Still, they got to know each other.

    "I think that he is one of the best outfielders in the organization," Sequera said of Campos. "He is a really good player."

    Campos, 18, hit .228 with five doubles, eight home runs, 19 RBIs, 17 walks and 41 strikeouts in 39 games. He, too, was playing his first professional season. The Tigers signed Campos for a $2.85 million bonus in July 2019, overshadowing the additions of Sequera and other international signees from that class.

    Although Sequera hit more homers than Campos, the Cuban-born Campos has more raw power.

    So does Dominican-born outfielder Jose De La Cruz. He signed with the Tigers for $1.85 million in July 2018 and reached Low-A ball in 2021. The 20-year-old hasn't translated his raw power into game situations yet, slugging just five homers in 83 games last season.

    What separates Sequera, described by another AL scout as a player with above-average instincts, is his seemingly natural ability to connect with the barrel of his bat and produce ideal launch angles. In 2021, his swing path granted access to his power.

    "I don't want to get on top of the ball," Sequera said. "I focus on launch angle and keeping the barrel on the ball to get the connection."

    There's a long way to go in Sequera's development before his MLB debut. His 29.4% strikeout rate, for one, needs to improve. But in his first pro season, Sequera made himself a prospect to watch in 2022.

    The Tigers can't wait to see what happens.
     
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  6. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    The MLB really knows how to fuck itself over and over again. This is the time of year to start reading hot stove reports and dreaming of Spring Training for everybody but fans of the 8 remaining NFL teams, yet here we are expecting a delayed and shortened ST and probably a delayed start to the season. Coming on the heels of a 60 game season in 2020, they seem really intent on making sure we know that we can live without baseball.
     
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  7. MG2

    MG2 I like to give away joy for free
    Donor

    At this point, I would be surprised if there's baseball on June 1. There just doesn't seem to be any willingness to negotiate anything by either side, and when they finally do talk every 5-6 weeks it only makes it worse.
     
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  8. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    I'm hoping some sense kicks in by March, because I otherwise agree with you. They don't seem anywhere close or all that interested in working it out.
     
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  9. smeegsgreen

    smeegsgreen Big fan of Koalas
    Michigan State Spartans

    Part of me is hoping baseball doesn’t come back for a couple of years so that Avila gets another contract extension since rebuild #2 was impacted by the lockout
     
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  10. DeToxRox

    DeToxRox Uncle T
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    Anyone have a rundown on the Tigers in the BA top 100?
     
  11. hoss2183

    hoss2183 Well-Known Member

    4 - Greene
    5 - Tork
    79 - Jobe
     
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  12. Vinegar Strokes

    Vinegar Strokes Fire Izzo
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    where is Mayer?
     
  13. hoss2183

    hoss2183 Well-Known Member

    15
     
  14. Vinegar Strokes

    Vinegar Strokes Fire Izzo
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    FUCK
     
  15. spartanchuck

    spartanchuck Well-Known Member

    What's Al going to do when he only has 1 player in the top 100? Is it time to rebuild again?
     
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  16. smeegsgreen

    smeegsgreen Big fan of Koalas
    Michigan State Spartans

    Jobe needs some time in minors, I’m sure if he has a great season he’ll be top 20
     
  17. MG2

    MG2 I like to give away joy for free
    Donor

    Jobe was a crazy risk, but was one of the first times Avila and Co have stepped out and did something knowing the industry consensus disagreed. It always sounded to me like they kind of want to do that when they took Mize instead of Kelenic, but didn't have the balls to do it. That's probably me projecting, but I bet if they could do that over they would take Kelenic (not a shot at Mize, who I still like).
     
  18. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    Imagine Vinegar Stroke if Kelenic was a Tiger with his -1.8 WAR last year.
     
  19. Vinegar Strokes

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    I wanted us to take Kelenic. It’s not like Mize has been anything special.
     
  20. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    5 WAR better then Kelenic in his career already.
     
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  21. Vinegar Strokes

    Vinegar Strokes Fire Izzo
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    Lmao. Kelenic is two years younger and was drafted from high school.
     
  22. smeegsgreen

    smeegsgreen Big fan of Koalas
    Michigan State Spartans

    Kelenic vs Mize debate is really dumb. Mize is the superior player and will be throughout his career.
     
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  23. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    Guys, I'm referencing that VS considers everyone who doesn't immediately succeed out of the gate a bust. I'm not really comparing Mize and Kelenic.
     
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  24. Vinegar Strokes

    Vinegar Strokes Fire Izzo
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    I’ve got a 69% hit rate on guys I’ve called a bust dating back to 2015. I’d say that is pretty good (or nice).
     
  25. DeToxRox

    DeToxRox Uncle T
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  26. MG2

    MG2 I like to give away joy for free
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    That didn't count. Rebuild hadn't started yet.
     
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  27. MG2

    MG2 I like to give away joy for free
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  28. Joe Louis

    Joe Louis no thank you turkish, i'm sweet enough
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    MG2 likes this.
  29. DeToxRox

    DeToxRox Uncle T
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  30. Joe Louis

    Joe Louis no thank you turkish, i'm sweet enough
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    Klaw lists are out ... no Jobe in the top 100 :warn:

    3. Riley Greene, OF, Detroit Tigers
    Age: 21 | 6-3 | 200 pounds
    Bats: Left | Throws: Left
    Drafted: No. 5 in 2019

    Previous ranking: No. 34

    Greene spent all of 2021 in the high minors, finishing with 40 games in Triple A, at age 20, with a performance that would have been impressive if he’d done it in A-ball. Greene has wicked bat speed, has already come into plus power with the chance for more, and has become a better runner and defender since entering pro ball. He’s more than playable in center, at least for now, and would probably be plus in either corner if he either outgrows the middle or is bumped for a better defensive centerfielder. One shocking negative in his stat line in 2021 is that he was caught stealing for the first time in his career, dropping his stolen base percentage all the way to 95 percent. (He’s 21 for 22.) He swings hard and can roll over his front foot, causing him to pull off the ball just slightly or swing over some pitches, reason enough that he would probably be better served returning to Triple A for the first month or so of this season rather than jumping right to the majors. There will probably always be some swing and miss to his game, but he makes such consistently hard contact that he looks like he’ll hit for average and power even if he punches out 27-28 percent of the time. I could see .300/.400/.550 seasons here, and if does that in centerfield, he’ll be on the shortlist of candidates for the best player in baseball.

    4. Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Detroit Tigers
    Age: 22 | 6-1 | 220 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 1 in 2020

    Previous ranking: No. 18

    Thank goodness the third-base experiment with Torkelson is over. He wasn’t good over there, but more importantly, it was a waste of everyone’s time, as his bat is clearly ready for the majors right now and any experiment with him at another position just threatened to slow his progress. He’s a monster at the plate with patience and power, great pitch recognition, and a solid two-strike approach. (The younger audience members might be unfamiliar with this term: It’s when a hitter changes his approach in any count with two strikes to try to reduce his chances of striking out and increase the chances of putting the ball in play, usually at the cost of some power. Most hitters used to do this. I swear.) Torkelson has all-fields power, and now that the hot corner is off the table, he should be more than adequate on defense at first base, with more time to improve now that he’s not trying to learn another position. The one area where he might fall short of expectations is in batting average, which did drop at each promotion he had in 2021. That’s the worst-case scenario. If he ends up a .250ish hitter it might seem like a disappointment, even though he’ll probably pile 75-plus walks and 30-odd homers on top of that, enough to make him a huge impact bat in the middle of a lineup.

    12. Detroit Tigers
    Last year: No. 12

    If I were just ranking top fives, the Tigers would be much closer to the beginning of this ranking with two guys in my top 10, a Just Missed player and their 2021 first-rounder, Jackson Jobe, a high school pitcher with upside but all the risk of a high school pitcher as well. The system thins out quickly, however. They have had less success beyond their first- and second-round picks than their peers, and their international side hasn’t produced a positive-WAR big leaguer since Eugenio Suárez, who debuted in 2014. They’ve also graduated a trio of top pitching prospects in the past year, which doesn’t help the farm system’s ranking but does help the major-league team, and I hope everyone realizes which of those two things is more important.
     
  31. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    Dingler on his Just Missed:

    Dillon Dingler, C, Detroit Tigers
    Age: 23 | 6-3 | 210 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 38 in 2020

    The Tigers took Dingler with the first pick in the second round of 2020, and it appeared they’d landed a first-round talent who’d slipped a little bit due to injury concerns. A strong defensive catcher with pop, Dingler had no trouble with A-ball pitching, but really struggled after a midyear promotion to Double A, with 62 punchouts and 9 walks in 208 PA for Erie, a 30 percent strikeout rate that wasn’t mitigated by other production in his .202/.264/.314 line. Dingler had never had contact issues like this before, but it persisted right up through the end of the season. He also missed most of August with a broken fingertip, which hardly would have helped him at the plate, and will have to work to maintain strength around his back and shoulder, both of which were issues for him in college. There’s at least above-average regular upside here, even if he’s a .300 OBP guy, because he can catch, throw, and might get to 20 homers in a full season, but he has to stay healthy for 100+ games, and has to return to Double A and show he can catch up to the better stuff at that level.
     
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  32. MG2

    MG2 I like to give away joy for free
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    Law's not going to rank Jobe for a while because he's smarter than the rest of us and suggesting anything to the contrary on one of his stances is only going to make him worse about it.
     
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  33. Joe Louis

    Joe Louis no thank you turkish, i'm sweet enough
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    FUCK
     
  34. Vinegar Strokes

    Vinegar Strokes Fire Izzo
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    Fire Avila.
     
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  35. Joe Louis

    Joe Louis no thank you turkish, i'm sweet enough
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  36. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    There seems to be so much projection from what Mayer is now to what he could be that this just seems high. He's not a can't miss player.
     
  37. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    Law's to 20 Tigers prospects:
    The Tigers have two prospects in the global top four, but the system isn’t as deep as you might expect from their high draft positions the last few years. They have graduated three major-league starting pitchers in the last two years, though, and now they have three or four more big-league regulars ready to reach the majors by the end of this year on the position player side.

    To qualify for these rankings, players must still be eligible for the Rookie of the Year Award in 2022, which means they may not have more than 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched or 45 days on an active roster heading into this season.

    1. Riley Greene, OF (Top 100 ranking: No. 3)
    Age: 21 | 6-3 | 200 pounds
    Bats: Left | Throws: Left
    Drafted: No. 5 in 2019

    Greene spent all of 2021 in the high minors, finishing with 40 games in Triple A, at age 20, with a performance that would have been impressive if he’d done it in A-ball. Greene has wicked bat speed, has already come into plus power with the chance for more, and has become a better runner and defender since entering pro ball. He’s more than playable in center, at least for now, and would probably be plus in either corner if he either outgrows the middle or is bumped for a better defensive centerfielder. One shocking negative in his stat line in 2021 is that he was caught stealing for the first time in his career, dropping his stolen base percentage all the way to 95 percent. (He’s 21 for 22.) He swings hard and can roll over his front foot, causing him to pull off the ball just slightly or swing over some pitches, reason enough that he would probably be better served returning to Triple A for the first month or so of this season rather than jumping right to the majors. There will probably always be some swing and miss to his game, but he makes such consistently hard contact that he looks like he’ll hit for average and power even if he punches out 27-28 percent of the time. I could see .300/.400/.550 seasons here, and if he does that in centerfield, he’ll be on the shortlist of candidates for the best player in baseball.

    2. Spencer Torkelson, 1B (Top 100 ranking: No. 4)
    Age: 22 | 6-1 | 220 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 1 in 2020

    Thank goodness the third-base experiment with Torkelson is over. He wasn’t good over there, but more importantly, it was a waste of everyone’s time, as his bat is clearly ready for the majors right now and any experiment with him at another position just threatened to slow his progress. He’s a monster at the plate with patience and power, great pitch recognition, and a solid two-strike approach. (The younger audience members might be unfamiliar with this term: It’s when a hitter changes his approach in any count with two strikes to try to reduce his chances of striking out and increase the chances of putting the ball in play, usually at the cost of some power. Most hitters used to do this. I swear.) Torkelson has all-fields power, and now that the hot corner is off the table, he should be more than adequate on defense at first base, with more time to improve now that he’s not trying to learn another position. The one area where he might fall short of expectations is in batting average, which did drop at each promotion he had in 2021. That’s the worst-case scenario. If he ends up a .250ish hitter it might seem like a disappointment, even though he’ll probably pile 75-plus walks and 30-odd homers on top of that, enough to make him a huge impact bat in the middle of a lineup.

    3. Dillon Dingler, C (Just-missed list)
    Age: 23 | 6-3 | 210 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 38 in 2020

    The Tigers took Dingler with the first pick in the second round of 2020, and it appeared they’d landed a first-round talent who’d slipped a little bit due to injury concerns. A strong defensive catcher with pop, Dingler had no trouble with A-ball pitching, but really struggled after a midyear promotion to Double A, with 62 punchouts and 9 walks in 208 PA for Erie, a 30 percent strikeout rate that wasn’t mitigated by other production in his .202/.264/.314 line. Dingler had never had contact issues like this before, but it persisted right up through the end of the season. He also missed most of August with a broken fingertip, which hardly would have helped him at the plate, and will have to work to maintain strength around his back and shoulder, both of which were issues for him in college. There’s at least above-average regular upside here, even if he’s a .300 OBP guy, because he can catch, throw, and might get to 20 homers in a full season, but he has to stay healthy for 100+ games, and has to return to Double A and show he can catch up to the better stuff at that level.

    4. Jackson Jobe, RHP
    Age: 19 | 6-2 | 190 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 3 in 2021

    Jobe was the third pick in 2021, the first high school player taken in the draft, and the highest-drafted high school pitcher since Hunter Greene in 2017. He’s a very athletic right-hander with a delivery he repeats well, while his stuff is premium — 94-96 consistently with plus spin and life, huge spin rates on a power slider, and a changeup and curveball. As I said at the time of the draft, he has all the ingredients you want to see in a future ace. He’s just a high school pitcher with no pro experience yet, and the base rate for those guys is not great. When he gets a year under his belt and we see where his command and control lie when he’s facing professional hitters, I’ll be more than happy to reassess.

    5. Ryan Kreidler, SS
    Age: 24 | 6-4 | 208 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 112 in 2019

    The Tigers’ fourth-rounder in 2019 out of UCLA, Kreidler came into some more power last year but also showed a really well-rounded set of skills that will help him have a long big-league career. He’s got plus power now and he’s a plus defender at short, which is enough to make him a backup, but he shows enough feel for the strike zone that he might work his way into everyday status – a .230-.250 hitter with a low .300s OBP, 20-plus homers a year, and great shortstop defense is a starting shortstop on a lot of teams. He’s improved himself and gone from extra guy to potential everyday player in the process.

    6. Izaac Pacheco, 3B
    Age: 19 | 6-4 | 225 pounds
    Bats: Left | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 39 in 2021

    The Tigers took Pacheco with their second-round pick but gave him a first-round bonus, betting on his potential 30-homer upside. Pacheco is already quite big and strong, listed at 6-foot-4, 225, but he’s athletic for his size and handles third base well. He shows good bat speed and should make hard contact, although he opens up his front side and may have some trouble with left-handers’ breaking stuff until that’s addressed. He could be a middle-of-the-order bat with power, some patience, and solid batting averages, along with average defense at third, as long as lefties don’t become an issue for him.

    7. Dylan Smith, RHP
    Age: 22 | 6-2 | 180 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 74 in 2021

    Smith was the Tigers’ third-round pick out of Alabama, a rare projection arm from the college ranks. He’s super athletic and can touch 95, although he doesn’t sit there and has room left to add velocity and durability. He’ll show a 55 fastball and curveball, needing work on his changeup and command. He’s more like a 19-year-old in terms of pitching development, which poses more risk but also means the Tigers’ player development people have the opportunity to help him make some significant short-term gains. He has mid-rotation upside but lower probability than most college starters.

    8. Ty Madden, RHP
    Age: 22 | 6-3 | 215 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 32 in 2021

    The Tigers took Madden with the 32nd pick in 2021 out of Texas, where the big right-hander got away with below-average command by throwing his slider a disproportionate amount of the time. It’s a good pitch but often out of the zone, and better minor league hitters will lay off of it. He has the velocity to start, but lacks a third pitch for lefties and will have to show he can put the slider in the zone for strikes. I was also concerned about his workload at Texas, but the Tigers shut him down for the rest of 2021 after he signed.

    9. Cristian Santana, SS
    Age: 18 | 6-0 | 165 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right

    The $2.95 million bonus the Tigers gave Santana in January 2021 was a new franchise record, and the early returns were very promising, as the shortstop hit .269/.421/.520 as a 17-year-old in the DSL, tying for second in the league with 9 homers. He’s got a powerful right-handed swing that is already producing hard contact, and seems to already be bigger than his listed 6-foot-0, 165 pounds. He’s a solid defender at shortstop right now, but he’s a fringy runner who might slow down more and end up at third or second base. The bat should profile anywhere, especially if the patience he showed in the DSL carries over to full-season ball.

    10. Roberto Campos, OF
    Age: 19 | 6-3 | 200 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right

    Campos took home a bonus of $2.85 million a year before the Tigers signed Santana, and debuted in 2021 in the Florida Complex League, skipping the DSL entirely. He has plus power that comes from a big swing, with an approach that favors power over contact; he hit 8 homers last year in the FCL, tying for fourth, but hit .228 with a .316 OBP and a 26 percent strikeout rate. He’s going to end up in right field, for which he has the power but right now lacks the approach. He has to hit better to get to the power and profile as a regular.

    11. Colt Keith, 3B
    Age: 20 | 6-3 | 211 pounds
    Bats: Left | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 132 in 2020

    Keith was the Tigers’ fifth-round pick in 2020 out of a Mississippi high school and had a strong, if limited, pro debut, hitting .320/.436/.422 in Low A before scuffling in High A in the final month. He’s a good athlete who makes hard contact, focusing on the middle of the field and sometimes getting a little too inside-out, but there’s potentially power in there with a change in how he approaches certain pitches or at-bats. He has a plus arm and is athletic enough to stay at third and perhaps end up above-average there.

    12. Beau Brieske
    Age: 24 | 6-3 | 200 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 802 in 2019

    Brieske was the Tigers’ 27th-round pick in 2019 out of Division II Colorado State University-Pueblo, where he posted a 5.42 ERA in his last year. That doesn’t even reflect the 15 unearned runs he allowed, but he did strike out over 30 percent of batters. It’s an unusual look for hitters — he’s on the first base side of the rubber but lands open, coming from a high slot, so batters struggle even with his fastball despite the lack of plus velocity. He was dominant in High A and still effective in 8 starts in Double A in 2021, with a lower strikeout rate but still the same command and control. The one real obstacle for him will be keeping the ball in the park when he gets to Triple A, as he’s a flyball guy without big velocity or spin. If he can do that, he’s a potential fifth or even fourth starter.

    13. Gage Workman, SS
    Age: 22 | 6-3 | 202 pounds
    Bats: Both | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 102 in 2020

    Workman was a 20-year-old junior at Arizona State when the Tigers took him in the fourth round in 2020; his pro debut last year started in Low A, for which he was a bit old, and ended with a 34 percent strikeout rate and .302 OBP in High A. He’s a physical kid and very athletic, with 70 speed that would probably play well in center field, and has some pop as well. He’s got to cut down on the strikeouts, which scouts say come from an approach that’s too tentative — he’s trying not to strike out, instead of trying to hit something hard. Because he was young for a junior, he has a little more time to figure it out than the typical college product.

    14. Parker Meadows, OF
    Age: 22 | 6-5 | 205 pounds
    Bats: Left | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 44 in 2018

    The Tigers gave Meadows $2 million in the 2018 draft, going over slot with the first pick in the second round, hoping his athleticism and 6-foot-5 frame would translate into a power/speed combination similar to what his brother Austin has shown. Parker hasn’t hit, though, as he still has a hitch in his swing, pulling his hands right down before contact, and hasn’t shown improvement in his pitch selection, with a .208/.290/.330 line last year in High A. There’s 20/20 upside here but I don’t see how he gets there without a swing change.

    15. Austin Bergner, RHP
    Age: 25 | 6-5 | 210 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 262 in 2019

    Bergner can miss bats with his fastball but has a high-effort delivery with a high slot, making it harder for him to throw consistent strikes or turn over a changeup to get lefties out. The Tigers’ ninth-round pick in 2019, he’s had more or less the same delivery since high school, so there’s some opportunity for the Tigers’ new player development group to try to help him get to both better command and a better third pitch so he could at least be a full-inning reliever.

    16. Joey Wentz, LHP
    Age: 24 | 6-5 | 220 pounds
    Bats: Left | Throws: Left
    Drafted: No. 40 in 2016

    Wentz has great deception and big extension out front, but his command and control did not come back last year in his return from 2019 Tommy John surgery, and his stuff isn’t good enough to get around that. Wentz is 89-93 with an above-average changeup and two sloppy breaking balls, showing a large reverse platoon split in 2021. He’d been a strike-thrower before the surgery, but walked 33 in 53 innings in Double A last year. I’d like to see if another year post-TJ at least gets him back his control and command, at which point he could be a fifth starter.

    17. Wilmer Flores, RHP
    Age: 21 | 6-4 | 225 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right

    Signed as an undrafted free agent out of two-year Arizona Western College in Yuma, Flores was up to 98 last year, working at 94-97 when I saw him in the AFL, with an average curveball. It’s a reliever’s delivery and his fastball gets hit more than you’d like for the velocity, but he could probably move to the bullpen and see the majors by the end of this year.

    18. Eric de la Rosa, OF
    Age: 25 | 6-3 | 186 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right
    Drafted: No. 195 in 2018

    De la Rosa took Riley Greene’s place in the Arizona Fall League, opening some eyes with plus raw power in BP. He’s a loose, lanky outfielder who looks a few years younger than 24, so while he strikes out way too much — around 30 percent at all three levels where he played last year, finishing in Double A — there’s also hard contact and at least 55 game power right now, enough to give him everyday upside with low probability.

    19. Eli Alfonzo, C
    Age: 22 | 5-10 | 155 pounds
    Bats: Both | Throws: Right

    Alfonzo is a high-probability backup catcher with solid defensive skills and high contact rates, without any power even just to hit for some doubles power, and likely with low OBPs.

    20. Manuel Sequera, SS
    Age: 19 | 6-1 | 170 pounds
    Bats: Right | Throws: Right

    Sequera signed for $750,000 in 2019 out of Venezuela and made his pro debut in 2021, hitting 11 homers to lead the FCL. He swung and missed too often, with a K rate just under 30 percent, and needs to improve his plan at the plate so he can get to more of the hard contact. He’s a shortstop but isn’t going to stay there, perhaps moving to third or second. It’ll come down to the bat, though — he hits the ball hard enough that doing it just a little more often would make him a possible regular.

    Others of note
    Wenceel Perez is the older cousin of Cristian Santana and has been on the Tigers’ list forever yet only reached High A last year at age 22. He’s an athletic infielder who can play all three skill positions on the dirt, and puts the ball in play often, spraying the field with line drives without power. He could be a good utility infielder with some more strength and/or more patience. … I thought outfielder Daniel Cabrera, whom the Tigers took with a competitive balance pick after the second round in 2020, would at least hit for average, but his pro debut was disappointing — he hit .242/.300/.395 in High A and was worse in a month in Double A, showing 55 power but struggling to make quality contact. His swing works but his pitch selection holds him back … Shortstop Trei Cruz, their third-round pick in 2020, hit .176/.245/.250 as a 22-year-old. He walked 20 percent of the time and struck out 34 percent of the time, and didn’t do damage on the rare occasions he put the ball in play. … Abel Bastidas, signed for $1.175 million alongside Santana, is a strong defensive shortstop who controlled the strike zone well in his pro debut in the DSL, but has to gain some strength even just to hit for a higher batting average. … Right-hander Zack Hess is 94-95 with a power mid-80s slider and would be a great middle reliever if he could just throw more strikes.

    2022 impact
    Torkelson should be the team’s Opening Day first baseman. Greene isn’t that far behind, and Dingler should debut by late summer.

    The fallen
    Alex Faedo, the team’s first-round pick in 2017, missed all of 2021 after February Tommy John surgery, so he won’t make his major-league debut until later this year at the earliest, if all goes well. He’s 26 and still hasn’t pitched above Double A, where he was very homer-prone when he last pitched in 2019.

    Sleeper
    I define “sleeper” as a non-top 100 prospect likely to jump well on to the top 100 next year, so Jobe is the obvious choice — if he pitches reasonably well with premium stuff, he’ll be on there. But since he’s hardly a surprise name, consider Santana if you’re looking for someone you couldn’t have just guessed by draft position.

    (Photo of Dillon Dingler, right, and Ryan Kreidler: Andrew Woolley / Four Seam Images via AP)
     
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  38. MG2

    MG2 I like to give away joy for free
    Donor

    The lockout has me so turned out of baseball mode that I opened Cody Stavenhagen's opening day roster projection and legit forgot we had signed Eduardo Rodriguez.
     
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  39. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
    Donor TMB OG

    It's also frustrating that we've endured so much terrible baseball, and now that they may be turning the corner, they're going to play a shortened season that ends up costing us some portion of Mize/Strubal/Manning's youth.
     
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  40. RalfBully

    RalfBully #21
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Michigan State SpartansDetroit PistonsDetroit LionsTiger WoodsDetroit TigersSneakers

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  41. Vinegar Strokes

    Vinegar Strokes Fire Izzo
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    Michigan State SpartansDetroit PistonsDetroit LionsDetroit Red WingsDetroit Tigers

  42. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
    Donor TMB OG

    Pitchers and catchers were supposed to report today. We're going to get a lot of minor league camp coverage over the next month.

    The MLB fucking sucks.
     
  43. Vinegar Strokes

    Vinegar Strokes Fire Izzo
    Donor
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    I wonder if Bally sports will air some mud hens games if season is delayed.
     
  44. MG2

    MG2 I like to give away joy for free
    Donor

    Kiley McDaniel has 4 Tigers in the top 100 today. Greene (5) and Torkelson (7) in the top 10. Jobe (58) and Dingler (86) in the back half.
     
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  45. smeegsgreen

    smeegsgreen Big fan of Koalas
    Michigan State Spartans

    Bowden > McDaniel > Law

    I don’t see how tork and greene aren’t both inside top 5. Who did McDaniel have in his top 10?
     
  46. DetroitNole

    DetroitNole Well-Known Member
    Donor

    He basically says tork is what we thought he is but guys at more premium positions had great years last year.

    1. Adley, 2. Witt, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Abrams, 5. Greene, 6. Volpe (lol), 7. Tork, 8. Grayson Rodriguez, 9. Alvarez, 10. Soderstrom

    Volpe being higher than tork seems ludicrous to me, even valuing position differential
     
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  47. smeegsgreen

    smeegsgreen Big fan of Koalas
    Michigan State Spartans

    Tork and Greene should be 1-4 imo
     
  48. Tug

    Tug Well-Known Member
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    Like Tork is 1 & 3 and Green is 2 & 4 or do you think they bracket?
     
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  49. DetroitNole

    DetroitNole Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Greene CF 1
    Tork 1B 2
    Greene RF 3
    Tork 3B 4
     
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  50. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
    Donor TMB OG

    I like it
     
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