Detroit Tigers Minor League Report: Week 3

Erie SeaWolves

At 7-11, the SeaWolves are off to the worst start of the four Detroit Tigers affiliates. Despite their slow start, they’re four and a half games off the pace in their division.

The week was a mixed bag for Erie’s starters. Last week, we touched on Kyle Funkhouser and a start in which he struck out seven, but walked five.

The five-walk outing may have just been a blip on the radar, as the former fourth rounder bounced back nicely. Funkhouser struck out nine and walked one over five innings. Despite giving up three runs and taking the loss, it was an encouraging sign.

In three starts, Funkhouser has 18 strikeouts in 12.1 innings for a K/9 of 13.1. The .379 BABIP he’s allowed should come down too, which should help lower his 4.38 ERA.

Tyler Alexander also posted a solid outing this week. The southpaw went five scoreless innings, dropping his ERA to 2.30. When profiling Alexander before the season, we noted his stinginess when it came to allowing walks.

So far, that has continued in 2018. Over 15.2 innings, Alexander has walked one, and sports a WHIP under 1.00.

The bullpen has been anchored by righty John Schreiber. Schreiber has three saves in four opportunities, and owns a 1.17 ERA.

Since becoming a 15th round pick in 2016, Schreiber has been dominating the minors. After posting a 2.76 ERA with Connecticut two years ago, he took that to the next level last year.

In 27 relief appearances for West Michigan, Schreiber struck out 70 over 50.1 innings. He limited opponents to a .147 batting average, and put up a microscopic 0.54 ERA. Continuing to tear up the minors this summer could make him a dark horse candidate for a September call-up.

The Offense

Where the SeaWolves have really struggled early in the year is hitting, specifically hitting for power. Prior to Wednesday’s game against Altoona (Pittsburgh), Erie had a total of three home runs.

The SeaWolves doubled their total that night, hitting three long balls. In the eighth, Gabriel Quintana and Josh Lester hit back-to-back homers. Dominic Ficociello then added his first of the year in the 10th.

The only regular in the SeaWolves lineup who has been hitting consistently is Sergio Alcantara. A highly rated infielder acquired in the J.D. Martinez deal, Alcantara is hitting .311 through 16 games.

Six of Alcantara’s 16 games have been multi-hit efforts, and his average has yet to dip under .300 after any game this season. He faces stiff competition from Dawel Lugo, Isaac Paredes, and others for a spot in the Detroit Tigers future infield, but is showing he belongs in the conversation.