The Four Newest Detroit Tigers

Alex Lange – RHP – 6’3, 197 lbs. – Age 25 – Drafted 1st Round 2017 (30th overall)

Alex Lange’s LSU squad lost to Alex Faedo’s Florida team in the 2017 College World Series Final, marking an unfortunate end to a storied college baseball career. In 2015 Lange produced one of the great freshman seasons in college baseball history, using a mid-90s fastball and a plus curveball to go 12-0 with a 1.97 ERA over 114 IP.

Lange’s stuff regressed in college, and he was never quite able to duplicate his early success, but the Chicago Cubs still drafted him in the first round in 2017. He spent his first full season in pro ball with the Class High-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and he put up solid numbers. But then, oddly, he returned to Myrtle Beach in 2019 and was awful. He did eventually make it to Double-A, but when the Tigers acquired him in the Nick Castellanos deal they immediately converted him into a reliever.

The bullpen seems to suit Lange, because he’s always had an effortful delivery and some control issues. He served in the role in the 2019 Arizona Fall League, and again during summer camp, and his velocity reportedly crept back up a bit during the Instructional League this fall. He’s unlikely to throw in high-leverage innings, but with four pitches that are all close to average, Alex Lange may carve out a role as a multi-inning reliever.

Matt Manning – RHP – 6’6, 215 lbs. – Age 22 – Drafted 1st Round 2016 (9th overall)

A two-sport star in high school, the Detroit Tigers took things a bit slowly with Matt Manning in his first two seasons. Manning is a terrific athlete, but he was somewhat raw as a pitcher, and the organization worked with him to overhaul his mechanics. Early on, the signs were a bit troubling, as he would mix dominant outings with disasters, and his velocity would often fluctuate from start to start.

But in 2018 the gloves came off, and Manning rocketed through three levels, consistently featuring a plus fastball and a plus curveball while carving through opponents. He took another step forward in 2019, showing better command and largely dominating the competition on his way to Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honors. Manning is a consensus top-100 prospect in all of baseball, and some believe he’s the best pitching prospect in the Tigers system.

Manning’s changeup remains a work in progress, and he will likely have to develop a slider or cutter in the future to give him another weapon against big-league hitters. He probably would have seen time in Detroit last summer if not for the strange year and a mild forearm strain, and provided he stays healthy, we’ll almost certainly see him with the Tigers in 2021. He’s the type of pitcher who may struggle for a few years in the Majors, but if everything clicks he could contend for Cy Young awards some day.

Joey Wentz – LHP – 6’5, 225 lbs. – Age 23 – Drafted 1st Round 2016 (40th overall)

Joey Wentz isn’t quite the athlete that his fellow 2016 draftee Matt Manning is, but he’s no slouch in that department, and he was also a legitimate draft prospect as a power-hitting first baseman. The Atlanta Braves preferred his left arm on the mound, though, and he quickly made them look good. After a brief taste of pro ball in his draft year, Wentz dominated Low-A ball in 2017,  earning South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year honors.

Wentz picked up where he left off in 2018, posting dominant stretches in the Florida State League and showing a fastball that would touch 95 mph, but a pair of injuries cost him about 10 starts. The Braves nevertheless bumped him up to Double-A in 2019, and he experienced his first real struggles as a pro, giving up a few too many home runs on the way to a 4.72 ERA in 20 outings with the Mississippi Braves.

But a late-season trade to Detroit seemed to reinvigorate Wentz, who was stellar with the Erie SeaWolves, posting a 2.10 ERA with 37 strikeouts and just 4 walks over 25.2 innings. Unfortunately, he underwent Tommy John surgery last March, so he probably won’t be ready for game action until June or July of 2021. Assuming he returns to full health, Wentz has a great shot to be a back of the rotation starter thanks to three solid pitches and a workhorse frame. And who knows, perhaps the rehabilitation process will have him throwing harder an he can develop into a mid-rotation arm.