Top prospect Franklin Perez makes 2018 debut

Connecticut Tigers

The Connecticut Tigers snapped a 10-game losing streak with a walk-off win Thursday night. Their 3-10 start to the campaign puts them in last in the New-York Penn League’s Stedler Division.

One of the few bright spots for the club has been Isrrael De La Cruz. De La Cruz posted a four-hit game on Saturday, and leads the Tigers in most offensive categories.

The Dominican owns a .364 average, and his 11 runs scored are more than twice the total of his next closest teammate. He’s tied for the team lead in hits, tops the club in total bases and steals, and is one of two Connecticut players to go deep thus far.

GCL Tigers

Both of the Detroit Tigers GCL affiliates are off to solid starts. Despite losing three straight, Tigers West stand at 5-3, in a tie for first place in the GCL Northwest. The 5-4 start to the season for Tigers East has them alone in first in the GCL Northeast.

Perez Debuts

The Detroit Tigers have acquired several promising prospects over the last year as they rebuild. Sending Justin Verlander to the Astros netted three of the most interesting of those prospects in Daz Cameron, Jake Rogers, and Franklin Perez.

The trio were all slated to start the season with Double-A Erie, until Perez went down with an injury. Perez finally made his 2018 debut on Monday, working a pair of innings on a rehab assignment for Tigers East.

Facing Tigers West, Perez allowed one run on one hit, and struck out a pair. Ranked as the top prospect in the organization, the right-hander reached Double-A for the first time last year with Houston at the age of 19.

For his minor league career, the Venezuelan owns a 3.34 ERA, a strikeout rate of 9.5 K/9, and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.6:1. The Tigers won’t rush Perez back, but expect him to head to Erie in the near future.

Top Three Picks Signed

Earlier this week, the Detroit Tigers signed their top three selections from this month’s draft, Casey Mize, Parker Meadows, and Kody Clemens. 36 of Detroit’s 40 selections have now signed, including each of the top 10 picks.

Meadows became the latest to make his professional debut, suiting up for Tigers West on Thursday. The second rounder reached base three times, going 1-for-2 and walking twice. The speedy center fielder is the younger brother of Pittsburgh’s Austin Meadows, who was also drafted straight out of high school.

Another 2018 draft pick off to a strong start is Jordan Verdon. A 23rd rounder out of San Diego State, Verdon has reached safely and driven in at least one run in each of his first six games. The 21-year old has collected four doubles, a triple, eight RBIs, and scored five times, while hitting .409.

Next: Exploring Trade Possibilities for Leonys Martin

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