Detroit Tigers: A Glance At The Affiliates

The Detroit Tigers are rebuilding, with that will come to an added emphasis on the farm system. Each one offers something different for Tigers fans alike.

There’s no doubt that a strong emphasis will be placed on the Detroit Tigers farm system over the next couple years. The Tigers have traded away Justin Verlander, J.D. Martinez, and Ian Kinsler.

These trades have brought hauls of prospects that many people know nothing about and the prospects have been sent to their respective playing levels (AAA, AA, A etc.).

However, they provide new life for the downtrodden farm system the Detroit Tigers have generally had. The affiliates have generally struggled in years past. The only glimmer of hope has been Single-A Grand Rapids Whitecaps who have posted a winning season in 11 of the last 13.

With new prospects though, the affiliates could see themselves posting better seasons. Including the Mud Hens, who are only a short drive away from the Motor City.

Let’s take a closer look at each affiliate and what we can expect in 2018 from them. The Detroit Tigers have 9 affiliates throughout various minor league systems, but today we are going to focus on the Short-Season A affiliate all the way up to the Triple-A Affiliate.

First up, the Short-Season Connecticut Tigers.

The Connecticut Tigers are the Short-Season A affiliate for the Detroit Tigers, playing in the New York-Penn League.

Just yesterday, the Detroit Tigers (and the Connecticut Tigers) announced that that the affiliation between the two teams has been extended until 2020. The Tigers have won 12 NYPL Titles, the last one being in 1998. As well the last time they made the playoffs was in 2014.

The New York-Penn League is designed to be a league for amateur draft picks to start after they’ve signed with their respective teams.  The season starts in June, after the amateur draft and ends in early September.

Former Detroit Tiger Gerald Laird is the current skipper of the Connecticut Tigers. Laird played with the Tigers from 2009 until 2011.  He was acquired in a trade that sent two minor league pitchers to the Texas Rangers. Ultimately, he would end up being the back-up to Alex Avila and Victor Martinez was spending the season on the DL.

The Tigers finished second in the NYPL last season. Look for them to do as well if not better in 2018 as the Detroit Tigers acquire more prospects.

Most Detroit Tigers fans probably won’t find themselves in Connecticut during the Short-Season but they will probably have a chance to see the next affiliate on our list. The Single-A Grand Rapids Whitecaps.

The Grand Rapids Whitecaps are the Single-A Affiliate for the Detroit Tigers, playing their home games at Fifth Third Ballpark.

The Skipper is also another former Tiger, Lance Parrish. Parrish played for the Detroit Tigers from 1977-1986.

If you’re interested the Whitecaps are looking for food ideas for the upcoming season, you can get all the details here.

The Whitecaps have had six league titles, with the most recent one coming in 2015. The Whitecaps have been in Grand Rapids since 1994, spending their first three years as affiliates of the Oakland Athletics. But, since 1997 they’ve been affiliated with the Detroit Tigers.

The Whitecaps have posted winning seasons in 11 of the last 13 seasons, and have won four Midwest League Titles in that span.

The Midwest League, of course, is a Single-A League based in the Midwest. Players at this level are generally in their first or second year of professional ball.

The Whitecaps posted 91 wins last season en route to winning the Eastern Division. Look for them to compete for a Midwest League Title in 2018.

The next stop for prospects in the Detroit Tigers organization is the Class-A Advanced League, where the Detroit Tigers have an affiliate-the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

The Lakeland Flying Tigers are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, playing their games in the Florida State League. Here players are typically in their third or fourth year of play.

The Flying Tigers play their home games at Publix Field at Joker Merchant Stadium but have alternated playing at Henley Field since 2002.  Like most of the teams in the Florida State League, The Flying Tigers play at their affiliate’s spring training facility.

The Flying Tigers have been affiliated with the Detroit Tigers since 1967. This is one of the longest unbroken affiliate relationships in Major League Baseball. The Flying Tiger nickname is an homage to the Lakeland School of Aeronautics, where over 8,000 pilots trained during 1940-1945. Some of these pilots would end up flying with the Flying Tigers of China during World War II.

The Flying Tigers have had many notable alumni over the years. John Smoltz, Mark Fidrych, and Kirk Gibson top that list. You can also find Curtis Granderson and Justin Verlander on the list of notable alumni for the team.

The Flying Tigers finished third last season in the Florida State League. With the addition of better prospects, they will be looking to finish better next season.

Next up on our list is the Double-A Erie SeaWolves, where players are one step closer to playing at Comerica Park and for the Detroit Tigers.

The Erie SeaWolves are the Double-A Affiliate for the Detroit Tigers playing in the Eastern League.

They play in Erie, Pennsylvania hosting their home games at UPMC Park. The SeaWolves nickname is a reference to both the close vicinity of Lake Erie and their original affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Since 2013, the SeaWolves have had one winning season. In those seasons, Lance Parrish has been at the helm. Parrish is now with the Single-A Whitecaps.  The SeaWolves, however, have some familiar names to Detroit Tigers fans, including pitcher Beau Burrows and outfielder Christin Stewart.

Andrew Graham is currently at the helm for the Erie SeaWolves. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 19^th round of the 2003 draft and never made it higher than Single-A ball. After a stint in Australia, he made it back to the Detroit Tigers organization where he made it as high as Double-A Ball. He played his last year of organized ball in 2009 before becoming a coach.

The SeaWolves posted a losing record last year while taking fourth in the Eastern League. 2018 hopefully brings better results as the farm system has improved greatly over the last year.

The final team on our list is usually the last stop for a prospect in the minor leagues before they join the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.