Detroit Tigers top 20 prospects following 2017 MLB Draft

Honorable mention part one

Relief Pitcher Zac Houston

Current minor league affiliate: Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps

Houston throws three pitches, including a fastball that can touch the mid-90s. He’s so far dominated in the low minors with a career 1.49 ERA and 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

In 30.2 frames for Single-A West Michigan this season, the 22-year-old has struck out 44 batters against just 18 hits, 15 walks and nine earned runs in 30.2 innings.

That spits out to a 2.64 ERA, a 1.076 WHIP and 12.9 strikeouts per nine frames.

Utility player Dominic Ficociello

Current minor league affiliate: Double-A Erie SeaWolves

Dominic Ficociello enjoyed a solid Spring Training for the Detroit Tigers this past year, with a .773 OPS, 11 RBI, nine runs scored, four walks, four home runs and a double in 53 plate appearances.

Capable of playing of playing first base, second base, third base and the outfield corners, the 25-year-old is batting .288 with a .359 on-base percentage, 33 runs scored, 19 extra-base hits, 19 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 302 plate appearances for Double-A Erie.

If he can continue to hit, it isn’t hard to imagine him serving as a bench cog in the future as a utility option.

Honorable mention part two

Catchers Sam McMillan and Joey Morgan

To this point, McMillan hasn’t played in the minors and Morgan has logged just seven at-bats for Connecticut, but the potential is there for both 2017 draftees.

Both have the potential to be two-way catchers down the line.

Relief pitcher Victor Alcantara

Current minor league affiliate: Double-A Erie SeaWolves

Like many relievers in Detroit’s minor league system, Alcantara throws hard and utilizes a solid slider.

The former Anaheim farmhand began the year in Double-A, notching a 1.80 ERA, 21 punch outs and a 1.28 WHIP in 25 innings.

He moved up the ladder to Toledo, where he has 15 strikeouts in 16 innings of work. However, Alcantara also struggled, allowing 18 hits, nine walks and nine earned runs.

He’s back in Erie, but he could be in the Majors in the near future if he can figure things out in the minors.

Starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull

Current minor league affiliate: Gulf Coast League Tigers West (on rehab assignment from Advanced-A Lakeland Flying Tigers

Once one of Detroit’s top starting pitching prospects, Turnbull has been setback by injuries as of late. Still, there’s potential to be found with the 24-year-old.

Armed with a solid fastball as well as a slider, curveball and changeup, Turnbull could eventually be pitching in Detroit’s rotation.

He has a 4.03 ERA, 33 strikeouts and a .253 batting average against in 44.2 frames for Lakeland this year.

#20 Relief pitcher Adam Ravenelle

Current minor league affiliate: Double-A Erie SeaWolves

Another member of Erie’s pitching staff, Ravenelle was also in camp with the Detroit Tigers in Spring Training this season.

The hard-throwing right-hander can flirt with triple digits on the radar gun while also mixing in a slider and a changeup. He’s punched out 22 in 22.2 frames for the SeaWolves, but does have 11 walks over the same span.

Ravenelle’s ERA and WHIP check in at 3.97 and 1.32 respectively.

#19 Starting pitcher Myles Jaye

Current minor league affiliate: Double-A Erie SeaWolves

Last year the Detroit Tigers flipped Bryan Holaday to the Texas Rangers for Jaye and Bobby Wilson before sending Wilson back to Texas for Chad Bell.

It’s safe to say the deal has worked out for Detroit, as Holaday is back in the organization and Bell has contributed at the Major League level this season.

Jaye could join him in the near future.

The 25-year-old starter has a 3.90 ERA, a 1.373 WHIP and nine strikeouts per nine frames in 67 innings for the SeaWolves.

#18 Infielder Hector Martinez

Current minor league affiliate: Short-season Single-A Connecticut Tigers

A middle infielder, Martinez flashed plenty of potential in the Dominican Summer League in 2014 and 2015 before making his debut stateside with one of Detroit’s Gulf Coast League teams last season.

In 42 games, the 20-year-old hit .310 with a .367 on-base percentage, a .352 slugging percentage and a .719 OPS. He also chipped in with 17 runs scored, 10 RBI, eight walks, seven stolen bases, four doubles and a triple.

Martinez has enjoyed a solid start at Connecticut in the New York-Pennsylvania League, where the competition is on average a year older than him.

The infielder has notched six hits, four runs scored, four RBI, a home run and a stolen base and a .733 OPS in 23 plate appearances.

#17 Starting pitcher Austin Sodders

Current minor league affiliate: Advanced-A Lakeland Flying Tigers

Since being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the seventh round in 2016, Austin Sodders has an excellent job in limiting mistakes and damage.

The southpaw’s career ERA sits at 1.72, while his number in the category this season checks in at a sparkling 1.41.

In 70.1 innings this season he owns a 0.938 WHIP and has allowed just 1.8 walks and 0.3 home runs per nine innings.

What’s more, Sodders is striking out 8.6 batters per nine innings this season.

Most of his work came at Single-A West Michigan, but he recently made the jump to Lakeland, where he gave up just three hits, a walk and a run in six innings.

If he can continue to limit damage and stay effective, he’ll be in Majors down the line.

#16 Outfielder Jose Azocar

Current minor league affiliate: Advanced-A Lakeland Flying Tigers

Jose Azocar had a fine 2016 season, batting .284 with 51 RBI, 19 extra-base hits and 14 stolen bases in 254 plate appearances for West Michigan against competition 1.6 years older than him.

Things haven’t gone as well in 2017, with a .217 average and a .538 OPS that is down from .656 last year.

Azocar still has plenty of potential, but he’s struggling as of now.

#15 Outfielder Rey Rivera

Current minor league affiliate: Short-season Single-A Connecticut Tigers

Detroit’s second-round pick has some serious power, and could be a fixture in the middle of the Tigers order in the future.

Baseball America’s Hudson Belinsky tweeted the following about Rivera on June 12:

“#Tigers will take Chipola 1B Reynaldo Rivera. After the JC WS, one evaluator said Rivera was the best JC hitter he had ever seen.”

That tweet should obviously be taken with a grain of salt because it is just one individual’s opinion. However, it speaks to Rivera’s upside and ability as a hitter if he was able to draw that kind of praise.

The prospect is already off to a strong start with Connecticut, collecting six walks, four runs scored, three RBI and two doubles in 27 plate appearances.

It isn’t hard to Imagine Rivera hitting in the middle of the Detroit Tigers’ lineup with another power hitter with an eye for drawing walks in Christin Stewart.

#14 Relief pitcher Mark Ecker

Current minor league affiliate: Advanced-A Lakeland Flying Tigers

Armed with a three-itch arsenal that includes a blazing fastball and a solid slider and changeup.

Ecker has done nothing but miss bats so far in the minors. His career punch out-per-nine rate is 11.3.

This year’s numbers look even better for the right-hander, as he’s struck out 42 of the 129 batters he’s faced in 30.1 frames. That ends up at 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

In his 30.1 frames with the Flying Tigers, Ecker has only allowed just 13 walks, 12 earned runs and a home run.

The fact that he’s notched 14 saves in 46 professional appearances certainly doesn’t hurt in terms of being a potential closer in the future.

#13 Relief pitcher Bryan Garcia

Current minor league affiliate: Double-A Erie SeaWolves

The fourth player drafted by the Tigers in the 2016 draft, Garcia is moving rapidly through Detroit’s minor league system.

In 30 innings this season, the University of Miami product has pitched to a 1.50 ERA, a 1.000 WHIP, 20 games finished and 11 saves in 26 appearances.

He’s also struck out 49 of the 118 batters he’s faced, good for 14.7 punch outs per nine innings.

Garcia logged a 3.14 ERA in 14.1 frames for West Michigan to begin the year, but hasn’t allowed a run since in stints with Lakeland and Erie.

As of now, Garcia is with the SeaWolves, where he has only been tagged for three walks and two hits in seven innings.

#12 Relief pitcher Gerson Moreno

Current minor league affiliate: Double-A Erie SeaWolves

Yet another power relief arm—sensing a trend?— Moreno was dominant at Advanced-A Lakeland to begin the year.

In 22.1 innings, the right-hander allowed just 19 hits, eight walks, five earned runs and a home run. He also notched eight saves.

Of the 94 batters Moreno faced, he struck out 30 of them.

That stretch saw him promoted to Double-A Erie, where one poor start in his first three outings has inflated his ERA to 9.64.

Moreno allowed four earned runs, two hits and a walk in his recent outing, but before that had allowed two hits, one run and a walk compared to six strikeouts in his first 3.2 innings at Double-A.

#11 Relief pitcher Jairo Labourt

Current minor league affiliate: Double-A Erie SeaWolves

We continue our Erie SeaWolves relief pitchers section of the article with Jairo Labourt, who may reach the Majors before Moreno and Garcia.

The third pitcher acquired in the David Price swap alongside Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd, Labourt initially struggled as a starting pitcher in Detroit’s system.

However, he’s been excellent since making the switch to the bullpen full-time this season. In 41 combined innings between Lakeland and Erie, Labourt owns a 1.76 ERA and 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Additionally, he’s only surrendered 2.0 walks per nine innings after walking 7.2 per nine innings in 87.1 frames for Lakeland last season.

Labourt currently sports a 2.30 ERA for the SeaWolves, with 32 strikeouts in 27.1 innings of work.

#10 center fielder Derek Hill

Current minor league affiliate: Rehabbing with Gulf Coast League Tigers West

Down the line, Derek Hill may surpass JaCoby Jones and Mikie Mahtook as the Detroit Tigers’ starting center fielder.

Arguably the team’s best center field prospect since Austin Jackson, Hill is simply put, a speed merchant.

A strong defender as well, injuries have slowed Hill to this point, but the 21-year-old is back in action after missing the first few months of the season.

He’s logged nine at-bats with one of Detroit’s Gulf Coast League teams, where he’s already putting his speed to use with three stolen bases, two runs scored, two walks, a hit and an RBI in three games.

It’s early, but if Hill can get back on track, he has an extremely-high ceiling.

#9 starting pitcher Sandy Baez

Current minor league affiliate: Advanced-A Lakeland Flying Tigers

Sandy Baez didn’t get off to the best start with Lakeland this season, allowing 41 hits, 23 runs, nine walks and three home runs in his first seven starts (26.2 innings). He punched out 16 batters over the same span.

However, the flame-throwing starter has been remarkably better after the calendar turned to June.

In 23.2 frames spread over four starts, Baez has allowed just 12 hits, nine walks and four runs. He’s also upped his strikeouts, with 35 in his last four outings.

If the right-hander can continue to pitch at that level, he’ll continue to move through the Detroit Tigers minor league system.

#8 starting pitcher Tyler Alexander

Current minor league affiliate: Double-A Erie SeaWolves

We return to the Erie SeaWolves pitching staff with left-handed starter Tyler Alexander.

A second-round pick in 2015, Alexander doesn’t blow hitters away with his fastball, but he does have four solid pitches to work with.

Alexander owns a 5.13 ERA with Erie in 66.2 innings this year, but much of that has to do with home runs.

The southpaw has surrendered 12 long balls this year after giving up just 14 in his first two professional seasons.

However, with a lifetime 2.96 ERA in the minors and the ability to limit damage (1.108 WHIP) He looks like a future rotation piece in Detroit.

#7 Outfielder Mike Gerber

Current minor league affiliate: Double-A Erie SeaWolves

Halting the run of pitchers on this list is Mike Gerber, who has done nothing but produce in the minor leagues.

Gerber was recently placed on the disabled list, but he’s been remarkable productive once more in Detroit’s system.

In 309 plate appearances with the SeaWolves, Gerber is hitting .292 with a .366 on-base percentage, a .445 slugging percentage and a .811 OPS.

He’s also filled in the stat sheet with 49 runs scored, 31 walks, 30 RBI, 19 doubles, eight stolen bases, seven home runs and a triple.

What’s more, Gerber has also played center field exclusively this season after predominantly seeing time in the outfield corners earlier in his career.

That flexibility will help eventually the outfielder find a starting spot in Detroit.

#6 Relief pitcher Joe Jimenez

Current minor league affiliate: Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens

Jimenez made his Major League debut this season. While he did give up six runs, five hits, two home runs and two walks in 4.1 innings, he also struck out five of the 20 batters he faced.

He recently spent time on the disabled list, but is pitching once more for Toledo.

Given the fact that the Detroit Tigers have had trouble finding suitable setup options outside of Shane Greene and Alex Wilson, it is likely that Jimenez will return to Detroit relatively soon.

It will certainly be exciting to see a bullpen that features an effective Jimenez, Bruce Rondon and Shane Greene setting up Justin Wilson.

#5 Starting pitcher Alex Faedo

Alex Faedo just won the College World Series with Florida, so he hasn’t started pitching in the minors yet.

However, he already ranks as one of the Detroit Tigers’ best prospects.

Armed with a mid-90s fastball and an excellent slide, Faedo should eventually be pitching at the front of the Tigers rotation alongside the likes of Michael Fulmer, Matt Manning and Beau Burrows.

#4 Starting pitcher Kyle Funkhouser

Current minor league affiliate: Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps

The case could made for switching Faedo and Funkhouser places on this list, but either way the Detroit Tigers have a pair of extremely promising starters.

Funkhouser is throwing like the pitcher that got him selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the 2015 draft.

In 62.2 frames for Lakeland and West Michigan, Funkhouser owns a sparkling 2.44 ERA. What’s more, he’s struck out 83 batters to go along with just 19 walks.

What is perhaps most encouraging about the Louisville standout’s season is that he’s improved his strikeout percentages against better competition.

After striking out 9.8 batters per nine frames in 31.1 innings with Lakeland, Funkhouser has struck out 14.1 per nine innings in 31.1 frames for West Michigan.

#3 Starting pitcher Beau Burrows

Current minor league affiliate: Double-A Erie SeaWolves

Faedo or Funkhouser could have slotted in here as well, but Burrows gets the nod given his status as a member of Erie’s rotation.

The former first-round pick’s numbers (6.56 ERA, 1.89 WHIP) aren’t impressive in his first five starts for the SeaWolves, but the potential is there for Burrows to headline a rotation thanks to a pitching arsenal that includes a promising fastball as well as a curveball, changeup and slider.

#2 Outfielder Christin Stewart

Current minor league affiliate: Double-A Erie SeaWolves

Erie currently fields many of Detroit’s top prospects. The good news is that many of them will eventually be playing for Toledo—and just a phone call away from the majors— in the near future.

Stewart is perhaps the prospect with the most upside on Lance Parrish’s team.

With a penchant for drawing walks and hitting the ball over the wall, Stewart will eventually be hitting in the middle of Detroit’s lineup at Comerica Park.

The 23-year-old is currently batting .279 with a .359 on-base percentage, a .552 slugging percentage and a .914 OPS in his second taste of action at Double-A after seeing action in 24 games there down the stretch in 2016.

Additionally, Stewart has mashed 18 home runs, 14 doubles and three triples to go along with 55 RBI, 39 runs scored, three stolen bases and his strong on-base numbers.

It wouldn’t be a shock to see him in Detroit by the time September call-ups roll around, though that is purely speculative.

#1 Starting pitcher Matt Manning

Current minor league affiliate: Short-season Single-A Connecticut Tigers

The Detroit Tigers future rotation could at one time feature some combination Michael Fulmer, Manning, Faedo, Daniel Norris, Funkhouser, Burrows and Matt Boyd.

That’s not a bad group to build around, especially considering the frontline potential of Manning and some of the other prospects.

The ninth-overall pick in 2016, Manning has ace-like upside with a blazing fastball, a strong power curve and a solid changeup.

Considering he was a two-sport athlete in high school, Manning doesn’t have as much mileage on his arm as other pitching prospects at his point in the development process.

Next: Mikie Mahtook is providing excellent value in center field

This will only benefit the Detroit Tigers if the right-hander lives up to his potential.