Detroit Tigers Minor League Report: Week 6

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

It has been another busy week for moves throughout the Detroit Tigers organization as the club continues to search for the right mix of healthy arms.

For those not shuffling back-and-forth between the majors and the minors, pitching continues to dominate the system headlines. Two more Detroit Tigers minor leaguers claimed Pitcher of the Week Awards, making it three straight weeks someone from the system has been honored.

As always, let’s get this week started with the hottest team in the system.

Toledo Mud Hens

Toledo is red-hot, having won five in a row and 10 of their last 11. The Mud Hens 26-12 record remains the best in the International League.

Shuffling the Deck

Thanks to injuries and ineffectiveness, the Tigers have been sending guys back-and-forth between Detroit and Toledo a lot lately. This week, Louis Coleman and Zac Reininger both made their 2018 Tigers debuts.

Coleman had a 2.40 ERA and eight saves with Toledo prior to his promotion to the majors, his first since 2016 with the Dodgers. To make room for Coleman, the Tigers designated Chad Bell for assignment. A few days later, the Braves claimed Bell off of waivers.

Reininger was called up last week, but had not pitched for Detroit until appearing in last Saturday’s doubleheader against Seattle. When Reininger was sent back to Toledo, it was Artie Lewicki who took his place.

Ryan Carpenter had a busy week. He was called up to Detroit for Saturday’s doubleheader, sent down the next day, and rejoined the Tigers a few days later. The organizational leader in strikeouts, Carpenter started against Cleveland on Wednesday and got roughed up.

Stewart Leading the Offense

A four-hit game on April 24 was just what Christin Stewart needed to catch fire. Since then, Stewart has slashed .363/.402./813, raising his season line to .296/.374/.622.

The best power hitter in the system leads the International League with 11 homers, and is second in RBIs with 28. He had his first multi-homer game at the Triple-A level on Sunday, launching a pair against Louisville (Cincinnati). Toledo hit six long balls in that game, with Ronny Rodriguez also homering twice.

When Jeimer Candelario landed on the disabled list earlier in the week, Dawel Lugo was called up for the first time. It didn’t last long, however, and Lugo was sent back to Toledo before appearing in a game. Although he didn’t get a shot this time around, it won’t be long before the promising infielder makes his MLB debut.

Erie SeaWolves

The SeaWolves continued to tread water this week, posting a 3-3 record. They now sit at 15-23 overall, and are in last place in the Eastern League Western Division.

A Pair of Dominant Righties

As I mentioned earlier, a pair of Detroit Tigers minor leaguers claimed Pitcher of the Week awards, making it three straight weeks a member of the system has been honored. Beau Burrows took home last week’s award, while fellow righty Spencer Turnbull made it two straight Eastern League Pitcher of the Week awards for Erie.

Turnbull has not given up a run in 11.0 innings of work over his last two starts. He allowed five hits while striking out 12 in those two outings. For the year, Turnbull owns a 4.11 ERA, and has fanned just more than a batter per inning. After a somewhat rocky start, he seems to be improving in what is a make-or-break year for his development.

Burrows built on last week’s award by turning in two more strong outings. He gave up one hit in five scoreless frames last Friday, then allowed one run over six on Wednesday.

The former first rounder has won four straight starts, and is 5-2 for the year. His five wins tie him with Toledo’s A.J. Ladwig for the most in the system. In 36.2 innings, Burrows owns a 2.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and opponents’ batting average of .206.

The Two Jakes

As we’ve covered a few times already, it’s been a rough 2018 offensively for top catching prospect Jake Rogers. Rogers picked up his first extra-base hit of the year on Monday, launching a home run as part of a three-hit night.

Rogers is still hitting just .173 for the campaign, but his hits have come in bunches. Of the 10 games he has a hit in, five of them have been multi-hit games, including a pair of three-hit efforts. Let’s hope finally getting that first homer out of the way helps Rogers’ bat wake up over the coming weeks.

Canadian outfielder Jake Robson is having a much better time at the plate these days. Robson had a four-hit game last Saturday, which tied his career-high. His .269 average is solid, but even when he doesn’t get a hit, he has a knack for getting on base.

Robson’s 21 walks are tied for the team lead with fellow outfielder Troy Montgomery. An eighth round pick in 2016, Robson has reached base in all 14 games he’s played at home this season. Overall, Robson has reached at least once in 12 straight games. During the streak, he’s hitting .295 with a .415 on-base percentage.

West Michigan Whitecaps

A 2-4 week has seen the Whitecaps slip down to 20-18. They are currently in third, six games out of first place in the Midwest League Eastern Division.

Idrogo Continues Dominance

Eudis Idrogo joined Spencer Turnbull among the weekly award winners this week, claiming the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week. In his lone outing, the righty tossed a seven-inning complete game shutout. Idrogo yielded three hits, did not walk a batter, and fanned 11.

We’ve touched on Idrogo a few times already, but his numbers are worth mentioning again. Through six starts, he has posted a 0.49 ERA, and opponents are hitting .188 against him. Despite his terrific numbers, his record is just 2-2, which gives you an idea of how bad West Michigan’s offense has been.

The right-hander people have had their eyes on the most on the Whitecaps staff is, of course, Matt Manning. The former first rounder surrendered three runs in five innings in his lone outing of the week.

It was more of the same for Manning, who continues to put up ludicrous strikeout numbers. He added eight in his five innings, bringing his strikeout rate to 14.8/9. On the other hand, walks are still an issue. With three more free passes, Manning’s walk rate is a shade under 7.0/9.

At some point this summer, Manning should advance to Lakeland. However, he will have to improve his control to prove he’s ready for the next step.

The Offense

As has been the case for much of the year, Luke Burch and Cole Peterson have been leading the Whitecaps offense. Burch has seven hits in his last two games, raising his season mark to .292. Peterson’s .288 average is second on the club, and he leads West Michigan in hits, runs, and steals.

First baseman Jordan Pearce leads the team by a wide margin with 27 walks drawn. However, he’s only hitting .192 to go with his .353 OBP. How can a guy with plate discipline like that be hitting 160 points less than his on-base percentage?

The reason appears to be bad luck. Pearce’s BABIP is a lowly .214, which is well below average, suggesting he’s due to heat up a little bit. In the meantime, walking more than you’re striking out is a great start.

Next: What can the Tigers expect from the No. 1 pick?

That concludes another week of the Minor League Report. Make sure to check back each Friday for the latest updates from around the Detroit Tigers organization.