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Detroit Tigers minor-league tools series: Best Fastball

By Roger Castillo |
Sep 19, 2021; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Jason Foley (68) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2021; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Jason Foley (68) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
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We are taking advantage of the MLB lockout to look at the Detroit Tigers farm system.

The 2021 Detroit Tigers minor league season gave us unfamiliar names that rose through the system. Last season, we saw Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning move up from prospect status to rotation mainstays. So the question is, who is the next pitching prospect going to be and what type of pitching arsenal are they going to possess?

Today, thanks to Chris Brown, who brought over this format from TigsTown, we are going to look at the best fastballs in the system. The format for this will be:

  • -Future Shock: The young prospects who we may see later on this list
  • -Honorable mentions:

If you have not already, check out our past Tigers Minor League Tools Series articles.

-Best hitter

-Best power hitter

Detroit Tigers Minor League Tools Series: Best Fastball

So let’s begin with the three areas of focus:

-Velocity

-Command

-Movement

Velocity is critical to this category. It has become the norm to see minor league players throw in the upper 90s compared to in the past. Which is why our next area of focus, command, is important.

A pitcher may throw hard, but if he does not have good command, that may lead to a higher walk rate as they move up through the system. Movement, the action of the fastball takes when it’s pitched, helps change the eye level of a hitter.

If a fastball is flat and has no movement, it makes it easier for a hitter to track. It may work at the lower levels for strikeout numbers, but may not translate into the big leagues.

Heritage Hall players, including Jackson Jobe, center holding trophy, celebrate after the Class 4A baseball state tournament championship game between Heritage Hall and Verdigris in Shawnee, Okla., Saturday, May 15, 2021.
Heritage Hall players, including Jackson Jobe, center holding trophy, celebrate after the Class 4A baseball state tournament championship game between Heritage Hall and Verdigris in Shawnee, Okla., Saturday, May 15, 2021. /

Detroit Tigers Best Fastball: Future Stock

  • Jackson Jobe
  • Rayner Castillo
  • Erick Pinales
  • Ty Madden (2021 32nd pick overall)
  • Tanner Kohlhepp (2021 5th round draft pick out of University of Notre Dame)
  • RJ Petit (2021 14th round pick out o Charleston Southern University)

Jobe’s fastball velocity in high school was in the 93-95, but as he continues to grow into his 6’2 frame, that will probably increase. As far as command goes, he showed very good command not only in his fastball but his change and slider at the high school level.

For movement, he showed high spin rates on his fastball (2300-2500 RPM) and slider (2900-3200 RPM). His slider has tremendous upside and once he gains experience against minor league hitters, he should be interesting to see what happens. Mark Powell from our FanSided.com site spoke to Tim Grieve, who was the area scout in Oklahoma that provided the information to Al Avila. Here’s what he said about why the Tigers were so comfortable to draft him.

” There is a comfort level, and it comes from the top-down. Al (Avila) is the same guy who took Josh Beckett (out of high school). We all understand there’s risk involved no matter who you take. With Jackson we just felt this is a kid who’s looked too good to pass up… we’re very comfortable with our development staff, we’re ecstatic with (pitching coach) Chris Fetter and you think we can only imagine what they’re going to do with a kid like this.”

While Rayner Castillo is just 17 and only has pitched in the DSL Tigers team, he has flashed a plus slider but has thrown a fastball in the low 90s. Like Jobe, he is very raw, but there is potential. Looking forward to seeing him pitch stateside soon.

For Erick Pinales, the numbers show a fastball average around 96 MPH down in Lakeland over 16.7 innings of work after moving over from rookie ball. It has hit 99 with spin rates in the 2500-2670 range and a cutter that displayed decent movement. His issue, however, is his command as he issued 18 walks.

Ty Madden averages around 94-96 that touched 100 MPH at Texas with good movement on his slider. He may move up quickly in the system this season.

RJ Petit averaged 94-96 and hit 97 in college. From all accounts, has a nasty slider and stands almost seven feet tall.

Go to the nine-second mark here for the movement on this strikeout. It’s not a fastball but still impressive.

Tanner Kohlhepp hit 100 MPH in college and possess movement on all his pitches. Pretty easy going windup and release.

Mar 7, 2021; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2021; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

Detroit Tigers Honorable Mention-Fastball

  • Ted Stuka
  • Gio Arriera
  • Carlos Guzman

Here we have three arms who spent time in Lakeland this season. Guzman is a former shortstop who converted to a pitcher back in 2017. He had a good season back at West Michigan in 2019 before injuries shut down his season.

He throws a fastball that hit 97 last season but averaged around 93.4. He still has problems with commanding what he wants to throw, which explains his BB/9 of 4.2. There is enough there with his fastball and changeup. He looked rusty when I first saw him in Lakeland, but to be fair, that was the season opener. Back in 2019 at West Michigan, he showed when he can command, he can be effective.

Ted Stuka has a fastball that has good arm side run but it’s not his go-to pitch, his slider and sinker generate more swings and misses. His fastball touched 98 this season, but like Guzman, needs to work on his command as he average 9 walks per 9 for the Flying Tigers.

Gio Arriera, who I saw at West Michigan in 2019 and on my Lakeland trip this season, was pumping 96-97in Lakeland with his fastball in the start I saw him. In the times I see him, his fastball had good movement, especially on right-handers. The velocity dropped as he went on and so did his command. There is upside to Arriera, who is a starter currently but could see him in the bullpen with a slider that has generated a 51% whiff rate last season.

Wisconsin pitcher Reese Olson (16) delivers a pitch during the MiLB game between the Clinton LumberKings and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on July 30, 2019 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. Wisconsin lost 8-3.Apc Timberrattlers 0730 1
Wisconsin pitcher Reese Olson (16) delivers a pitch during the MiLB game between the Clinton LumberKings and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on July 30, 2019 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. Wisconsin lost 8-3.Apc Timberrattlers 0730 1 /

Detroit Tigers Top 3 Fastballs in the system

  • Wilmer Flores
  • Reese Olson
  • Jason Foley

We will start with RHP Wilmer Flores, who made such an impression on the Tigers brass down in Lakeland that he pitched in the Arizona Fall League. They signed him in 2020 out of Arizona Western and came over from FCL Tigers West in the beginning of July after striking out 18 in 13 innings pitch.

Combined that with his Lakeland numbers overall and you are looking at an impressive 90 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. His ERA was 4.25, but his FIP was 2.61. He was hitting 95-97 and showed an impressive spin rate at 2,622, with K per 9 of 12.2.

After a rough July in three starts, his August numbers over five starts showed an improvement of his command as he walked 9 over 26 innings of work compared to 7 walks in 10 innings when he first got the call up. He finished September strong, with an ERA of 0.54, allowing just one run over 16.2 innings of work and struck out 22.

He also posses a plus curve but that’s another story for another day.

RHP Reese Olsen

Came over in mid-season from the Brewers and after two starts at West Michigan, he went to Erie for the rest of the season and what we saw in a small sample size with the Whitecaps, his fastball has good arm side run, a slight increase in velocity from last season and good command. His K rate between both of his High-A stops was impressive. He has a good four pitch mix and I am interested how he will do under a full season at Erie.

Either way, the trade came at the right time. With type of movement on his pitch mix to compliment the fastball, Olsen should continue to move up.

RHP Jason Foley 

Foley out of the gate in spring training was averaging around 99, but the knock on the pitch was it lacked movement. Still, he is one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the system, throwing heat consistently in his appearances. If he can continue to work on his command and the development of his slider, Foley has closer material.

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