Detroit Tigers: Seven players who could make their MLB debut in 2021

As spring training draws to a close and we have a better idea of what the Detroit Tigers have on their roster, we also have an idea of how the prospect scene looks. From the Statcast highlights of Riley Greene to Spencer Torkelson’s slow start, those are some of the changes on the prospect front.

What else has changed on the Detroit Tigers’ prospect front since Jake discussed the prospects who could make their debut five months ago?

• MLB Pipeline recently announced the Tigers farm system as number 2 overall, just behind the Rays.
• Zack Hess, Jason Foley, and Alex Lange’s stock continues to rise
• Cristian Santana is among the Top 10 Detroit Tigers prospects list on FanGraphs.
• Akil Baddoo is a dude.
• Manager AJ Hinch is a fan of Isaac Paredes and his game.

With the minor league not starting until May 1, there will be a few Detroit Tigers prospects who will be in the mini-camp, waiting for the opportunity to get called up if something happens in April. For pitchers Joey Wentz and Rony Garcia, extra time to recover and possibly make their minor league season debut sooner than later.

The road to Detroit will be busy this summer. Manager AJ Hinch will have to rely on a farm system that has a handful of players who will make their debut and could contribute. Will there be a surprise name that wasn’t in spring training camp that could make their debut? Sure, and that is my hope.

Detroit needs more names on the positional player side to start rising up through the various prospect rankings and make an impact. A surprise or two on the minor league front would be ideal that isn’t just Greene or Torkelson.  Let’s start when around an estimated month we could see them.

Zack Short

Prediction on when he will get the call up:  End of May.

As Jake mentioned in his piece back in October, his versatility is something the Tigers loved when they picked him up and so does AJ Hinch. He has had a good spring training, showing off the potential power that was discussed as part of his profile.

If Niko Goodrum struggles offensively, the Tigers could call up Short, especially if gets off to a good start in Toledo or is being productive in the mini-camp in April.  Granted, if Harold Castro gets sent down, he may get the call up over Short but the reason why I will go with Short over Castro is Short in the minors walks at a higher clip.

Granted, you have to throw out the ISO number of .203 with some skepticism in 2019 at Triple-A Iowa because of the balls they used but where the power comes in is in his ISO numbers in 2018 before his injury at Double-A, where it was at .190, which is closer to that .200 sweet spot that is your guide to know a player will hit for power.

Castro does not walk much with a walk rate of 3.2% and does not hit for power. Detroit has seen what Castro is and they may look to Short to be one of the first call-ups to Detroit.

Kody Clemens

Prediction on when he will get a call-up: Late July.

Clemens has been working on making his swing much more compact, allowing him to leverage his power more. He walks near a 10% clip throughout his minor league career and when he was on the podcast with Chris and me, he was working on his game in the Constellation Energy League last summer that his father, Roger, put together to help out emerging prospects and indie talent. He hit 4 home runs and had an OPS of .747 for Team Texas.

He is a lefty bat that was taking reps at first base in spring training, which helps his cause as a possible platoon bat situation. If the Tigers make a trade at the deadline, Clemens, based on how he is doing in the minors, could get a call-up.

Riley Greene

Prediction on when he will get a call-up: September

Greene is more than likely starting the season at Double-A Erie and we have seen the flashes of good at-bats and strong defensive play.

Giving him a taste of the show at the end of the season if fans are coming to the ballpark at a normal level would definitely give Tigers fans something to talk about. If Detroit is going to be winning only 68-70 as projected, why not?

Could they wait until next season? Sure but if Greene shows he can be an impact player now, why wait?

Matt Manning

Prediction on when he will get a call-up: July

Manning with some time in the minors will be able to work on sequencing his pitches better. As Chris Brown said in his write up for our Top 20 prospects list:

Matt Manning shows many of the traits of a potential front-line starter. His fastball sits in the 92-95 mph range, he can ramp it up to 98, and his elite extension makes the pitch appear even faster to hitters. His 12-6 curveball is frequently a plus offering he can land up in the zone or bury in the dirt for swings and misses, and his changeup shows the potential to be at least average. Manning is an excellent athlete who fields his position very well, and that athleticism also helps him repeat his delivery. He pounds the strike zone, and shows potential for above-average command.

There is a lot to like with his arm and he appears to be healthy, which is good news for the rotation.