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Detroit Tigers: Prospect projections and rankings from MiLB

By Adam McIntosh

DETROIT, MI - APRIL 7: A general view of Comerica Park during the tribute to former owner Michael Ilitch during the opening day celebrations prior to that start of the game against the Boston Red Sox game on April 7, 2017 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 7: A general view of Comerica Park during the tribute to former owner Michael Ilitch during the opening day celebrations prior to that start of the game against the Boston Red Sox game on April 7, 2017 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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MiLB.com has released prospect projections and rankings giving Detroit Tigers fans a glimpse of the future.

The Detroit Tigers have had a weaker farm system in years past. Over the past year, they’ve traded away key veterans to gain a stockpile of prospects. That stockpile has made them a pitcher heavy system, according to MiLB.com. MiLB.com recently released rankings of baseball’s farm systems, for positional players and for pitchers.

For the Detroit Tigers, they ranked the pitchers as 11th best in major league baseball. Kelsie Heneghan, of MiLB.com, notes that the Tigers four Top-100 prospects are all right-handed pitchers. Franklin Perez is the highest ranked. He came to the Tigers via the trade that sent Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros. Followed by Tigers top picks Matt Manning and Alex Faedo. The fourth pitcher is, of course, Beau Burrows.

The positional players didn’t fare as well. Sam Dykstra ranked them 26th out of 30 teams. However, as Emily Waldon, of the Athletic, notes-Rome wasn’t built in a day.

As part of the Justin Verlander trade, the Detroit Tigers received outfielder Daz Cameron and catcher Jake Rogers. The Tigers also have Christin Stewart and Derek Hill. Dykstra believes this is a reason to be like the future of the organization.

Projections For the Prospects

Dykstra also released projections for the Tigers prospects in the upcoming season. If you were to base the outlook of the season off of WAR, it wouldn’t be pretty. On the pitching side of projections, only Beau Borrows and Grayson Long are projected to have a positive WAR this season. Dykstra does note that if Burrows continues to perform the way he has been, he could be in Comerica Park before he turns twenty-two.

Next: 10 Reasons to be excited for 2018

Looking at the offensive projections, only Victor Reyes is projected to have a negative WAR season. Dykstra lists Reyes as his wild card, putting him as a fourth or fifth outfielder. The 21st ranked Tigers prospect is listed as the below-replacement player as of right now.
The key take away from the projections and rankings is that the Tigers farm system has vastly improved. In addition to that, it’ll take a couple years for the Tigers to be contending for a World Series but they’re already laying the foundation for that to happen.

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