Detroit Tigers Minor League Report: Week 1

Erie SeaWolves

The SeaWolves started 3-0, but have now lost four straight under new manager Andrew Graham. Erie’s great start was due in large part to the starting pitching. Beau Burrows, Sandy Baez, and Spencer Turnbull each turned in strong outings in their first starts of 2018.

On Opening Night, Burrows dealt five scoreless frames, allowed one hit, and struck out six. The next night, Baez did not yield a run over four and two-thirds, and fanned 10. Turnbull then allowed one run over four and two-thirds, while striking out seven.

Offensively, Erie has been led by shortstop Sergio Alcantara. Alcantara came to Detroit as part of the deal that sent J.D. Martinez to Arizona. In the first two Double-A games of his career, Alcantara went 5-for-7.

The 21-year old leads the SeaWolves in average (.385), hits (10), and RBIs (six). Not bad production for a guy who has started six of seven games in the nine slot. On the down side, Erie has eight errors already, and Alcantara made three of them.

James McCann’s former college teammate Dominic Ficociello has also had a good start at the plate. Ficociello has hit safely in all seven games and is hitting .346.

Jake Rogers drove in three in the SeaWolves first two games, but had a rough week after that. One of the prizes in the Justin Verlander deal, Rogers is hitting .208, with zero extra-base hits. He’s also already had two passed balls. Not exactly what you’re looking for from one of the best catching prospects in the minors.

Good luck to the SeaWolves in their home opener tonight against Altoona at UPMC Park!

Lakeland Flying Tigers

The Flying Tigers are off to a 3-5 start. The big story for Lakeland this week was the pro debut of Alex Faedo.

Faedo took the ball last Friday night, and pitched very well after a rocky start. Last year’s first round pick, Faedo gave up back-to-back homers, and then hit a batter with one out in the first inning.

After a flyout and a caught stealing by Andres Sthormes ended the frame, Faedo went into cruise control. The righty did not allow a base runner the rest of the night, retiring the final 13 batters he faced.

Another solid outing followed on Wednesday night. Faedo allowed one run on two hits in five and a third. Through two starts, Faedo has struck out nine in 10.1 innings, hasn’t walked a batter, and yielded just four hits, for a .118 opponent’s average.

Like Beau Burrows for Erie, Gregory Soto also pitched very well on Opening Night. The late-blooming lefty gave up one hit and struck out five through five scoreless innings. He got knocked around a little in his second start, but still managed to fan seven in four and a third.

After being hit by a pitch in his first High-A plate appearance, Isaac Paredes homered his next time up on Opening Day for Lakeland. Unfortunately, he has struggled since. He’s 3-for-23, with no walks and five strikeouts. However, Paredes is only 19, which is very young for High-A, and has huge upside for the Tigers.

West Michigan Whitecaps

The hottest start in the Detroit Tigers system belongs to the West Michigan Whitecaps. The Whitecaps are 6-1 and have won five straight under first-year skipper Lance Parrish.

Dane Myers leads a pitching staff that owns a 2.47 ERA through seven games. Drafted in the sixth round last year, Myers had a 2.33 ERA for Short-Season Connecticut in 2017. In two starts, Myers has allowed two runs over nine innings with eight strikeouts.

In the bullpen, 2016 22nd rounder Burris Warner is off to a strong start. Warner has struck out 10 in eight relief innings across three outings.

Offensively, three 2017 draftees have led the way. First baseman Jordan Pearce has had a few massive games already. Pearce drove in three on Opening Day, then plated a career-high five on Tuesday. On Thursday, he reached five times, with a double and four walks.

The left side of the infield has been raking as well. Shortstop Cole Peterson has hit safely in all seven games, including four multi-hit efforts, for a .379 average.

Third baseman Colby Bortles is just a couple ticks ahead at .381. The younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles, Colby is tied for second on the team with five RBIs and owns a .500 OBP.

Next: Tigers Minor League Preview

The first week of the season is in the books for the Detroit Tigers affiliates. Make sure to check back each Friday to stay up to date on the latest happenings from around the system.