Detroit Tigers: Five players are in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospect list

#20 Tarik Skubal

It is very rare to see a lefty pitcher from the Tigers this high on the list. But Skubal’s eight appearances in 2020 made an impression on everyone.

The combination of his fastball that was overpowering hitters and slider were good pitches but the curveball when it was in the strike zone was a beauty. 

Baseball America complimented his changeup as an effective pitch when mixed properly and discussed his 6-foot-3 frame which creates that downhill plane for the ball to travel against hitters.

What stands out here is that this is a Tigers late-round draft pick that is this high on Baseball America’s list.  Detroit has had the best of luck finding gems in the later rounds so finding Skubal in the 9th round and have him up in the majors two years later is a tip of the cap to Detroit on finding him.

Recovering from Tommy John surgery when they drafted him, scouts saw the potential which resulted in dominating the minors in which we have not seen from a lefty perhaps since the days of Justin Thompson in the ’90s, who was one of the last homegrown left-handed pitching prospects the Tigers have developed.