Detroit Tigers: 5 Prospects to Watch in 2016

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Mar 29, 2015; Clearwater, FL, USA; A general view of a Detroit Tigers hat, glove and sunglasses in the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Fulmer

Yoenis Cespedes has been playing out of his mind as he tries to help the New York Mets earn their first postseason appearance since 2006. The Mets knew they would have to pay a steep price for Cespedes.

They sent RHP Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa to the Tigers in exchange for Cespedes. Fulmer in particular was an intriguing player with tremendous upside.

Playing in AA in the Mets and Tigers organizations, Fulmer went 10-3 with a 2.24 ERA and 1.075 WHIP. He struck out 121 batters in 120.2 innings.

Last week, he was named 2015 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year, but the Tigers decided to leave him out of September call-ups and out of fall/winter ball this season. The club may not want him to pitch much more this season since he’s gone about 30 innings over his innings pitched from 2014.

The Tigers are very excited about Fulmer being an eventual addition to their starting pitching rotation, possibly by 2017. He is a prospect on the rise after this year’s performance, however and it is not unheard of for a pitcher to make the jump from AA to MLB starting rotation (Justin Verlander in 2006 immediately comes to mind).

Next: Steven Moya