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

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.