Detroit Tigers Top 25 Prospects #5-#3: Jimenez, Funkhouser and Burrows

Detroit Tigers minor league pitchers Joe Jimenez, Kyle Funkhouser and Beau Burrows all show promise. They check in at #5-#3 on Motor City Bengals list of the top Tigers prospects.

Detroit Tigers prospects have made a significant impact over the past few seasons.

While the 2014 campaign didn’t end with a World Series win, it did represent the first full season in the Majors for both Nick Castellanos and Blaine Hardy.

Castellanos collected 66 RBI, 50 runs scored, 31 doubles, 11 home runs and four triple en route to an eighth place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting.

The third baseman has continued to develop on both sides of the ball. He looks poised to hit in the middle of the order for the rest of his career.

Hardy meanwhile logged a 2.54 ERA and a 3.49 FIP in 39 innings for Detroit, providing a much-needed bullpen presence as the likes of Joe Nathan (4.81 ERA), Ian Krol (5.18 FIP) and Jim Johnson (8.3 walks per nine innings) struggled.

Since making his Major League debut, the left-hander owns a 3.00 ERA and a 3.30 FIP in 126 innings.

2015

The 2015 campaign saw Detroit drop to last place in the standings, but that didn’t stop the likes of Daniel Norris, James McCann and Matt Boyd from enjoying solid debut seasons.

McCann took over as the team’s primary backstop and hit .264 with a .683 OPS.

He also added 41 RBI, 32 runs scored, 18 doubles, seven home runs and five triples at the plate while throwing out 41% of would-be base stealers.

Rounding out the list are Norris and Boyd. After coming over from Toronto in the David Price deal, the duo combined to make 18 starts for the Tigers.

Norris turned in a solid 3.68 ERA in 36.2 innings, while Boyd accounted for 50.2 frames of work.

2016

Fast forward to last season, when right-hander Michael Fulmer stole the show.

Arguably Detroit’s best pitcher at times, the right-hander won Rookie of the Year honors after posting a 3.0 WAR, a 3.06 ERA, a 3.76 FIP and 7.47 strikeouts per nine innings.

The starter threw 159 frames while also posting an 11-7 record.

If all goes to plan, the next few waves of Tigers prospects will have a similarly significant impact on the club.

Here’s a look at the team’s fifth, fourth and third best prospects.

#5 Joe Jimenez
Age: 22
Position: Relief Pitcher
2016 Minor League Affiliate: Toledo Mud Hens

The hype surrounding Joe Jimenez has been building for years.

After signing with Detroit in 2013, Jimenez made an instant impact in the Gulf Coast League.

In just 18 innings, the reliever struck out 24 batters while allowing only nine hits, six walks and one run.

The 2014 season saw the pitcher see action in the New York-Pennsylvania League. In said new league, Jimenez continued to dominate, with 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.70 ERA.

A 2015 promotion to Single-A West Michigan saw Jimenez continue to post eye-popping numbers.

The right-handed pitcher turned in a sparkling 1.47 ERA, allowing just seven earned runs in 40 appearances. Additionally, the 2015 campaign saw Jimenez strike out 61 hitters while walking just 11.

At that point, the 22-year-old was a few years away from being ready for the Majors.

Things changed in 2016.

Jimenez pitched in 53.2 innings across three different stops—Advanced-A Lakeland, Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo.

True to form, he continued to post numbers in the ERA category of the stat sheet while striking out batters left and right.

All told, Jimenez had a 1.51 ERA and 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings last season. He also finished 52 games while racking up 30 saves.

What is perhaps most encouraging about the prospect career so far is that he’s allowed just 40 walks and four home runs as a professional pitcher.

Potential Future Role with the Detroit Tigers

A closer for most of his minor league career, Jimenez seems destined to eventually take over for Francisco Rodriguez at the back end of Detroit’s bullpen.

That obviously won’t happen right away, but the right-hander’s ability to miss bats with an excellent fastball-slider combination should set him up for a successful career with plenty of saves.

#4 Kyle Funkhouser
Age: 22
Position: Starting Pitcher
2016 Minor League Affiliate: Connecticut Tigers

Joe Jimenez could have very well ranked fourth thanks to his high ceiling.

However, the reality remains that if both reach their potential, Funkhouser will have more of an opportunity to make an impact considering he’s a starter.

A former first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015, the right-hander fell to Detroit in the fourth-round of the 2016 draft.

Considering the Tigers had to surrender their second and third-round picks to sign Jordan Zimmermann and Justin Upton, the team did well to nab a promising talent in the fourth round.

A starting pitcher by trade, Funkhouser also mixes in a slider and a changeup to go along with his fastball.

The Louisville product is a few years away from being ready for the Majors, but he showed promise in his first professional action.

Over 13 starts (37.1 innings), Funkhouser pitched to a 2.65 ERA while striking out 34 batters. He only walked eight.

Obviously numbers in the low minors aren’t everything, but Funkhouser did well to miss bats and limit walks early.

Potential Future Role with the Detroit Tigers

From Matt Manning and Spencer Turnbull to Sandy Baez and Tyler Alexander, the Tigers have plenty of intriguing young arms coming through the ranks.

There will be plenty of competition for rotation spots in the future, as Justin Verlander, Fulmer, Boyd, Norris and Jordan Zimmermann also look set to stick around for the long haul.

However, expect to Funkhouser to eventually be in the mix.

A first-round talent, the right-hander could thrive in Detroit’s rotation.