Detroit Tigers Prospect Report: Mike Gerber

The Detroit Tigers are in rebuilding mode. “Future Friday” is a segment where we examine the bevy of prospects in Detroit and their future impact in the Motor City.

The Detroit Tigers sold off a lot of veteran talent over the past year in exchange for prospects.

While it can be hard for fans to see all-stars like J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton and Alex Avila dealt, not to mention franchise icon Justin Verlander, the return can be an exciting batch of prospects who will become the next stars in Detroit.

‘Future Fridays,’ is a new weekly column where we pick a prospect and delve into their expected impact on the team. We want to help Tiger fans identify the newest wave of prospects as they move into rebuilding mode.

In honor of March Madness, today’s Future Friday post will be about Creighton alumnus Mike Gerber. Gerber’s Blue Jays will square off against Kansas State at 3:50 PM EST today.

A do-it-all outfielder

Gerber was an unheralded 15th round pick out of Creighton University in 2014. He has risen rapidly through Detroit’s system, rocketing up the prospect lists thanks to his pure hitting.

Gerber spent most of 2017 at Double-A Erie, slashing .291/.363/.477 with 13 home runs, 10 stolen bases and a 131 wRC+. That earned him four games with Triple-A, where he managed to blast another home run.

Gerber doesn’t do any one thing exceptionally, but he does a little bit of everything. He has posted double-digit home runs the last three seasons, with scouts expecting him to have 15-18 home run pop. He has also shown decent speed, stealing 10 bases last season and 16 in 2015.

Arguably most importantly, he can play all three outfield spots.

Gerber had a strong spring with the Tigers, going 7-for-20 (.350) in 15 games with a home run, three doubles and three walks. He was recently re-assigned to Triple-A camp, and will likely start the 2018 season in Toledo.

Next: Tigers connections to the NCAA tournament

MLB Pipeline projects him to be a future fourth outfielder, with the potential to develop into a regular. His power, speed and defense will make him a very valuable big leaguer, even if he’s not starting every day.