Detroit Tigers: Double-A Erie SeaWolves are team to watch in 2017

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Apr 21, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A detailed view of a Detroit Tigers hat sitting on top of a glove in the dugout before a game between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

Detroit Tigers minor league affiliate, the Double-A Erie SeaWolves, have a number of prominent prospects on their roster. The SeaWolves are a team to keep an eye on over the coming months.

Detroit Tigers fans have seen the team incorporate significant youth into the team in recent seasons.

What was once a veteran-heavy team now utilizes the likes of Nicholas Castellanos, Michael Fulmer, Matt Boyd, James McCann, Daniel Norris, Jose Iglesias, Tyler Collins, Dixon Machado and Shane Greene on a weekly basis.

Additionally, JaCoby Jones, Joe Jimenez, Bruce Rondon and Kyle Ryan have all contributed to Detroit this season.

The young talent has certainly helped the Tigers. Moving forward, the next wave of young talent could come from Double-A Erie’s roster.

While Triple-A Toledo currently has Jones, Jimenez (currently on the disabled list) and Rondon on the team’s roster, the rest of the team is comprised of veterans.

The next wave of impactful call ups—in the long run—will come from Erie.

The SeaWolves have used their fair share of veterans this season, like Gustavo Nunez (29) Waldis Joaquin, Argenis Diaz and Anthony Vasquez (all 30), but the team is predominantly made up of prospects.

Leading the way for Erie is slugger and walk-drawing machine Christin Stewart, who has mashed 10 home runs and drawn 21 walks in 145 plate appearances. He owns a .386 on-base percentage and a .610 slugging percentage.

Mar 16, 2017; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Dominic Ficociello (72) against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium. The Tigers won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Position Players of Note

Dominic Ficociello and Kody Eaves

There’s also Dominic Ficociello and Kody Eaves. A pair of potential utility options, the duo are both turning in productive seasons.

Ficociello, who impressed for the Tigers in Spring Training, is batting .294 with a .341 on-base percentage. The former 12^th-round pick has also added 11 runs scored, 10 extra base hits and nine RBI in 132 plate appearances.

The 25-year-old has seen time at first base, third base and left field since the start of the 2016 campaign.

Meanwhile, Eaves is hitting a blistering .340 in an admittedly small sample size of 59 plate appearances. Still, it’s good to see the infielder turning in a high batting average. That’s been about the only thing missing from his stat line in the past few years.

Since debuting in Anaheim’s system in 2012, Eaves has registered 264 runs scored, 213 RBI, 102 doubles, 81 stolen bases, 36 home runs and 33 triples in 495 games.

The career .257 hitter is on track to log career highs in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS and in batting average.

Mike Gerber

Joining Stewart in the outfield is Mike Gerber. The former 15^th-round pick has been extremely productive in his minor league career so far, hitting his way onto Detroit’s list of best prospects.

Gerber checked in at sixth in both 2016 and 2017 on Motor City Bengals’ list of the top Detroit Tigers prospects thanks his penchant for raking at the dish.

This season has been no different.

The outfielder is batting .317 with a .368 on-base percentage and a .504 slugging percentage. He’s chipped in with 24 runs scored, 17 RBI, 11 doubles, five home runs and five RBI.

He’s also posted a blistering .391 wOBA and an equally excellent 145 wRC+.

Grayson Greiner

One of a number of intriguing prospects with the SeaWolves, Grayson Greiner could give the Tigers another option behind the dish to pair with James McCann over the long haul.

A solid defensive catcher, Greiner is hitting just .200 with a .539 OPS. However, he did bat .293 with a .763 OPS in 91 games last season, so there’s hope for a rebound.

The backstop is one of many potential, long-term backups for McCann, joining the likes of Alex Avila, John Hicks, Arvicent Perez and Bryan Holaday.

Mar 4, 2017; Lakeland, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Jairo Labourt (63) throws a pitch during the fifth inning of an MLB spring training baseball game against the New York Yankees at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

The Pitching Staff

On the pitching side of things, there’s also plenty of upside.

Most prominent among the group is Tyler Alexander, who we here at Motor City Bengals ranked as the seventh-best overall prospect in Detroit’s system.

A former second-round pick in 2015, Alexander is a left-handed starter with excellent control.

He’s totaled 33.1 innings in seven starts this season, surrendering just six walks in the process. Alexander has also struck out 23 over the same span.

Alexander looks like a long-term rotation piece for the Tigers, as do Myles Jaye and Artie Lewicki.

Jaye has logged a 3.96 ERA, 7.7 strikeouts and 1.9 walks per nine frames in six starts. The 25-year-old Lewicki was taken in the eighth round in 2014.

He checked in at 20^th on MCB’s list of top prospects last season and has pitched to a 3.52 ERA since joining Detroit’s organization.

The Bullpen

Moving deeper into games, Erie relies on a number of hard-throwing relievers with intriguing upside.

Rounding out the group is a pair of 23-year-olds and 24-year-olds. Adam Ravenelle (23, 2.45 ERA in 7.1 innings) is a potential late-inning arm, as is fellow 23-year-old Jairo Labourt.

Labourt has pitched to a 5.40 ERA in five innings after being promoted from Advanced-A Lakeland. However, he’s shown much-improved control in 2017.

After striking out 81 and walking 70 in 87.1 innings last year, Labourt has 30 strikeouts and just five walks in 18.2 frames this year.

In addition to Ravenelle and Labourt, 24-year-olds Victor Alcantara (2.05 ERA in 22 innings) and Paul Voelker (3.97 ERA, 11.1 innings) both have the stuff to pitch late in games in at the Major League level.

Voelker is tied for second on the team with a pair of saves.

Rounding out the group is Ruben Alaniz, who coincidentally is the one tied with Voelker in terms of saves. He’s shown plenty of intrigue since signing with Detroit.

In 14.2 frames, the reliever has finished seven games to go with 15 strikeouts compared to just six walks.

Next: Top Tigers prospects off to strong starts in 2017

Like Ficociello, Alaniz showed well in Spring Training. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him contribute to the Detroit Tigers bullpen sometime in 2017.

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