Detroit Tigers Minor League Report: Week 3

Lakeland Flying Tigers

The Flying Tigers are playing better after a slow start and had won four straight until a loss Thursday night. Lakeland heads into the weekend in third place in the Florida State League North Division with a 9-12 record.

As always, we’ll start with last year’s first rounder, Alex Faedo. Faedo took the hill on Tuesday for Lakeland and turned in another very good outing.

In a season-high six and two-thirds, the righty gave up a run on four hits, did not walk a batter, and fanned six. That puts Faedo’s ERA at 2.74, his strikeout-to-walk ratio at 21:1, and opponents’ batting average at .185. Those are great numbers for anyone, let alone someone making his first four professional starts.

Two Flying Tigers are on the Detroit Tigers current 40-man roster. One of them, Eduardo Jimenez, is off to a great start as Lakeland’s closer. Jimenez has converted all three of his save opportunities, and given up one earned run in eight and two-thirds innings.

Elsewhere in the Lakeland bullpen is local lefty Trent Szkutnik. After attending Bedford High School in Temperance, Szkutnik went to Michigan for three years.

The Tigers made Szkutnik a 20th round pick after his junior year with the Wolverines, and he’s pitched well for the organization since. So far in 2018, Szkutnik owns a 0.84 ERA, and a 6:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Offensively, one of the most consistent hitters for Lakeland has been catcher Austin Athmann. Earlier in the week, Athmann had a seven-game hitting streak snapped that featured four multi-hit games.

During the streak, the former Minnesota Golden Gopher went 12-for-23 (.522), raising his average to .412. Since the streak snapped, he’s hit a slump, but his .298 average is still good for third on the club.