Detroit Tigers Top Prospects: #10-#6, Smith, Baez, Hill, Alexander and Gerber

#9 Sandy Baez
Age: 23
Position: Starting Pitcher
2016 Minor League Affiliate: West Michigan Whitecaps

This past offseason, the Detroit Tigers added a trio of pitching prospects to the 40-man roster.

Two were Chad Bell and Myles Jaye, both acquired from Texas in the Bryan Holaday and Bobby Wilson deals.

Both Bell and Jaye could contribute in the Motor City next season, but the third prospect added is a few years away from being ready.

That would be Sandy Baez.

Baez, who spent the 2016 campaign with West Michigan, likely won’t make his Major League debut next season. However, when he does, he could have a sizeable impact.

The 23-year-old right-hander can dial up his fastball, flirting with triple digits in the process. What’s more, he also mixes in two promising off-speed pitches.

In 113.1 innings with West Michigan, the prospect turned in a 3.81 ERA and 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

While Baez didn’t overwhelm with strikeout numbers, he has the stuff to rack up more punch outs as time goes by.

Additionally, the starter limited damage, giving up just 2.2 walks and 0.6 home runs per nine innings.

Potential Future Role With the Detroit Tigers

Detroit has some intriguing starting talent coming through the ranks. Baez will certainly be in the mix for a rotation spot down the road given his upside.