Detroit Tigers: Five prospects who will make their debut in 2018

The Detroit Tigers are in rebuilding mode, and with that should come the long-awaited MLB debuts of many of the teams finest prospects.

The Detroit Tigers are without many of the veteran stars that graced the Motor City over the last few seasons. The loss of Ian Kinsler, Justin Upton, J.D. Martinez and of course Justin Verlander  will no doubt change the dynamic of this franchise.

However, it creates room for many of the teams highly-touted prospects to strut their stuff at the big league level.

Most of Detroit’s high profile prospects are still a few years away from making their major league debuts. There are a handful, however, that should get called up at some point during the 2018 season.

According to MLB Pipeline, the Tigers have seven top-30 prospects would are projected to debut in 2018. Based on spring training performances and other scouting reports, I think five of them are likely to see the MLB in 2018.

Dawel Lugo and Tyler Alexander are the two whom MLB Pipeline has as 2018 debuts, but who I think may need another full year in the minors before they make the big leagues. Lugo is 3-for-11 at spring training so far, while Alexander has only thrown 0.2 innings.

Of the other five, some may hear the call early on in the year, if an injury or ineffectiveness plagues another player. Some may not get their chance until September, when teams are allowed to carry up to 40 players on their active roster.

Regardless, Tigers fans will get a chance to see players they have been hearing about for a couple of years (in some cases) but haven’t had a chance to see in person.

Here are five Detroit Tigers prospects who I expect to make their big league debut in 2018.

Christin Stewart

A 2015 competitive balance pick that the Tigers acquired when Max Scherzer departed via free agency, Stewart has long displayed impressive power numbers. He blasted 30 home runs in 2016, a season split  between High-A and Double-A.

He followed that up by blasting 28 more in 2017, all with Double-A Erie.

In addition to Stewart’s prodigious power, he has shown an excellent eye at the plate. He posted a stellar 16.7% walk rate at High-A. That was followed up by a 10.1% walk rate at Double-A.

Stewart’s batting profile at the big league level will likely fall into the three true outcomes category. Three true outcomes, popularized by sluggers like Adam Dunn, Jack Cust and Rob Deer, are players who have a high likelihood of either hitting a home run, drawing a walk or striking out. Indeed Stewart has shown a solid knack for all three, posting a 24.9% strikeout rate last season.

Stewart in 2018?

Stewart, Detroit’s tenth ranked prospect, is almost certainly ticketed for Triple-A Toledo. He has seen a handful of at-bats in spring training, going 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored in two games. The Tigers do not view him as part of the preseason competition for a spot in the outfield.

However, Stewart could make his way to the Motor City early in the season, should he hit well at Triple-A. He has yet to face pitching at that level, so his big league debut will be largely determined by how he does in Toledo. If he is able to continue to draw walks and hit home runs, while either limiting or maintaining his strikeout rate, there’s a chance he could be up early in the season (May or June) if someone else is struggling or injured.

Should Stewart struggle in Triple-A, or the Tigers not need his services, it seems almost certain that he will be a September call-up this season.

Tigers fans will get a chance to see what Stewart can do in the big leagues in 2018. When exactly has yet to be determined, but fans can count on his powerful left-handed swing making an appearance.

Grayson Long

Grayson Long was acquired at the August trade deadline from the Angels in exchange for slugger Justin Upton. The 6’5 right-hander went 8-6 with a 2.52 ERA and a 8.21 K/9 in 23 starts for the Angels Double-A affiliate in 2017. He only made one start for the Double-A Erie Seawolves after the trade, making him a somewhat unknown commodity for the Tigers.

Almost every projection has Long as an ‘‘innings eater’, meaning he will likely fill out the back end of a starting rotation. Although Long’s projection is as a number five starter at best, he seems very close to reaching that potential.

Long in 2018?

The Tigers will almost certainly start Long, their number 15th ranked prospect, in the Triple-A rotation. He is likely the number nine starter at the moment, behind Michael Fulmer, Jordan Zimmermann, Matt Boyd, Mike Fiers, Francisco Liriano, Daniel Norris, Buck Farmer and Ryan Carpenter. However, multiple injuries could push Long into the rotation sooner rather than later, especially if he is pitching well in Toledo.

One or more of Norris, Farmer and Carpenter could end up in the big league bullpen. That could make them unavailable to start on short notice, which in turn could bump Long up to the show. If the rotation is able to stay healthy, Long could still dawn the old English D as a September call-up.

The Tigers have no shortage of right-handed pitching prospects, but Long is the furthest along and could establish himself in the rotation before the likes of Franklin Perez, Alex Faedo, Matt Manning and Beau Burrows are ready to debut. While his ceiling is relatively low, Long seems like a good bet to find himself in a starting rotation sooner rather than later.

Gerson Moreno

Originally signed out of the Dominican Republic as a 17-year-old, Gerson Moreno made his way up to Double-A in 2017. The Tigers 28th ranked prospect, Moreno has a blistering fastball that he frequently gets into triple digits.

While he has consistently posted gaudy strikeout numbers (including 36 in 28 innings at Double-A) he has struggled with his command, which has stunted his development. Still, he’s shown enough that the Tigers put him on the 40-man roster in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft last November.

While Moreno’s fastball is big league ready, his offspeed stuff has fallen behind and is holding him up. His slider has shown glimpses of being above-average, but has been plagued by inconsistency. If Moreno can hone in the slider he will be a late-inning reliever in the near future, possibly as soon as 2018.

Moreno in 2018?

Moreno tossed 4.2 innings in five spring training games. He struck out five and walked five, a solid example of the pros and cons of his profile. He was re-assigned to Double-A Erie, where he will begin the 2018 season.

The Tigers have a plethora of bullpen options for the 2018 season, pushing Moreno down on the waiting list. However, none of their other options possess the firepower that Moreno does, so if he can control his fastball and bump up his slider, he will make his big league debut in 2018. If not, expect to see the Tigers be very patient with Moreno, as fastballs like his don’t come around all that often.

Kody Eaves

Kody Eaves was profiled as one of our ‘under-the-radar‘ prospects to keep an eye on this season. He was competing for Detroit’s utility infielder role, although he is unlikely to beat out Niko Goodrum, Ronny Rodriguez or Pete Kozma for the position.

However, Eaves could very likely make his big league debut in 2018, especially if he has a strong showing in his first extended look at Triple-A.

The former Angels farmhand crept onto MLB pipeline’s top-30 list, coming in at number 30 for the Tigers. He slashed .272/.343/.472 with 13 home runs, seven stolen bases and a 124 wRC+ last season. That led to a handful of at-bats at Triple-A down the stretch, where he will likely start in 2018.

Defensively, Eaves has started 119 games at third base and 64 games at second base while in Detroit’s organization. With Jeimer Candelario locking down third base for the forseeable future, Eaves’ best avenue to big league at-bats is either at second base or as a utility infielder.

Eaves in 2018?

Alexi Amarista seems to have the utility infielder role on lock down. The final bench spot looks to be between Niko Goodrum and JaCoby Jones, who is working out as an infielder to improve his versatility.

That leaves Eaves and Ronny Rodriguez waiting in the wings at Triple-A. Eaves is 24 and swings from the left side, making him an appealing bench option for the Tigers in the not-so-distant future.

Expect Eaves to begin the year with a starting role at Triple-A, either at second base or third base. Injuries or a midseason trade could push him onto the big club early in the year. If not, don’t be surprised to see him make his big league debut as a September call-up.

Next: Four under-the-radar prospects to keep an eye on

Any combination of these five prospects could spend time in the Motor City in 2018. There are certainly others who could also don the Olde English D next year.

Wins may not come easily for the Tigers in 2018. However, these new faces will give fans plenty to watch in year one of the rebuild.