I was a bit surprised at the Tigers’ system when I finally went through it with all my notes from scouts; it’s still on the thin side, even after a couple of good drafts and the end of their trading prospects for major league help. Their international scouts continue to bring in a lot of power arms and middle-of-the-field guys, although if they could sign one kid who will take a walk, that’d be great, please and thank-you. The onus is on GM Al Avila now to trade at least one of their biggest names to help restock this system the way the White Sox just did by trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton.
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1. Matt Manning, RHP (Ranked No. 82)
2. Christin Stewart, OF (Ranked No. 92)
3. Beau Burrows, RHP
4. Derek Hill, OF
5. Tyler Alexander, LHP
6. Joe Jimenez, RHP
7. Kyle Funkhouser, RHP
8. Dixon Machado, SS
9. Sandy Baez, RHP
10. Arvicent Perez, C
Non-top 100 guys
I really like Beau Burrows’ stuff, but he should have missed a lot more bats than he did in 2016, but he didn’t do that or get ground balls despite good life on his fastball. He made progress with his changeup last year, so he’s got the three pitches to profile as a starter.
Derek Hill was a top-100 prospect for me in the past, but once again his season ended due to injury, this time a torn elbow UCL that will hold him out at least until late May. He can run and is a plus defender in center, but he needs to get stronger and to produce something at the plate. The swing works, but if you can’t make hard contact, good mechanics are just window dressing.
Tyler Alexander was Detroit’s second-round pick in 2015 and pitches extremely well with average stuff, coming inside to batters and changing speeds effectively. He’s the system’s highest-probability starter and could end up a No. 4. Joe Jimenez throws a bazillion miles an hour, but last year his command took a big step forward, and he tightened up his slider, so now hitters can’t just cheat on the fastball. He’s a future closer and should be in Detroit’s bullpen this year.
Kyle Funkhouser was the Tigers’ fourth-round pick last year and threw very well in short-season ball, sitting at 93 mph but touching 95-96, and throwing four pitches for strikes, although I think it’s control rather than command right now. There are still a lot of questions around him, given how his velocity dipped in college, his history of walks and the lack of a clearly plus breaking ball. The raw material here is strong, as he has the size and the workable delivery to become a league-average starter.
Shortstop Dixon Machado might be ready now to play every day for somebody. He’s a plus defender and has shown enough plate discipline in the minors to project enough OBP to make him a regular.
Sandy Baez just reached full-season ball last year at age 22. His fastball sits at 94-95 mph and has reached 99, with unusually good control but below-average secondary pitches. Arvicent Perez is a great catch-and-throw guy, working on the framing and game-calling aspects of catching and puts everything in play as a hitter. He might hit an empty .280 in time, but with the defensive profile to make him a regular. I’d feel a lot better about him if he’d play a full season in 2017 and draw more than six walks.
Right-hander Adam Ravenelle (11) has two plus pitches that work for late-game relief now, but his command has wavered as he tends to over-rotate through his delivery. Mike Gerber (12) looks like a quality fourth outfielder with an outside shot at regular status, although given his age -- he turned 24 last July -- that latter seems unlikely.
Center fielder Jose Azocar (13) is a plus defender with the arm for center or right, but an average runner with a bat-wrap that adds length to his swing. His approach is pretty much “swing now,” with poor breaking ball recognition and no real adjustment with two strikes. Gerson Moreno (14) throws 95-97 as a one-inning reliever now and will flash an average slider and changeup, although neither is consistent; unsurprisingly, he walks too many guys (20 in 24 1/3 innings after his promotion to high-A).
Lefty Jairo Labourt (15) always projected as a reliever, and now that he’s in the bullpen he should move a little faster up the chain. He’s still too wild, but in short stints he throws in the upper 90s from the left side. Right-hander Spencer Turnbull (16) threw just 44 innings in 2016 due to a shoulder impingement but should be good to go in March, while Kevin Ziomek (17) missed almost the whole year due to thoracic outlet syndrome and an eventual surgery to repair it.
2017 impact: Jimenez should spend much of the year in the Tigers’ bullpen, and Ravenelle could join him at some point. Machado would be one of the best utility infielders in the league if they give him that job.
Sleeper: Catching is in such short supply anyway, and with the greater emphasis on catcher defense, notably framing, it seems like Arvicent Perez doesn’t have to hit a whole lot to become a highly valued commodity. However, my sleepers for teams are usually guys I think could leap up into the middle of the top 100 in a year; and for the Tigers, that’s clearly Burrows, for his stuff and his upside.
The fallen: Hill was drafted in June of 2014, has now played two injury-shortened seasons and hasn’t hit well anywhere he’s played, posting a .245/.306/.327 career line. Their 2012 second-round pick, Austin Schotts, never reached Double-A and was released last March.