Detroit Tigers: Top 20 prospects for 2022 – Part One

Welcome to Motor City Bengals’ Top 20 Detroit Tigers Prospects for 2022.

The Detroit Tigers have seen their farm system change pretty dramatically since March, when we published last year’s list. And there have even been some significant changes since we published our updated list in August.

But our methodology remains the same. Six MCB contributors created independent lists of their top 25 Detroit Tigers prospects, and we averaged those rankings together to get our top 20 prospects.

The contributors who made this list went to dozens of minor-league games last year, and we saw most of these players in person at least once. We don’t say that to claim our list is the best, only to admit our personal opinions might play a larger role here than in other lists you see.

We’ve included a small blurb about each player below the picture, but keep an eye out for upcoming stories on players who just missed our list, as well as detailed profiles on each of the top 20 prospects in the system.

Today’s post will look at the players ranked 20th through 11th in the Detroit Tigers system, and tomorrow’s story with feature the top 10.

Detroit Tigers No. 20 Prospect – Andre Lipcius – IF

The Detroit Tigers took Andre Lipcius in the 3rd round of the 2019 draft, and he had a solid pro debut that year, posting a 108 wRC+ over 67 games at Low-A West Michigan. He quickly hit his way out of High-A West Michigan in 2021, but found the going a bit tougher in Double-A Erie. Lipcius’ stats don’t jump off the page, and if you catch the wrong game he might not look like a prospect at all.

But managers love him because he has a mature approach at the plate, enough power to keep pitchers honest, and he’s an above-average defender at multiple infield positions. It’s a tough profile, because Lipcius lacks the the foot speed to be a regular shortstop, but his instincts, reactions, and arm strength are all above-average, so there’s a chance he carves out a role as a solid utility infielder.

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Detroit Tigers No. 19 Prospect – Garrett Hill – RHP

Garrett Hill made just two of our six lists, but that was enough for him to sneak into the back of the top 20. And he does merit some discussion after a strong season that included an excellent performance in the Arizona Fall League (13.2 IP, 1.98 ERA, 15H, 21K, 3BB). The Tigers drafted Hill in the 26th round back in 2018, so even reaching Double-A is an accomplishment, but he has a legitimate chance to make the bigs one day.

Hill’s fastball is a pedestrian offering that lives in the low-90s, but his changeup flashes as a plus pitch, and his low-80s slider shows average potential. Hill turns 26 soon, and the Tigers chose not to protect him in the Rule 5 draft, but he commands his stuff well enough to potentially eke out a role as a swingman or emergency starter.

Detroit Tigers No. 18 Prospect – Kody Clemens – IF/OF

Kody Clemens dealt with some nagging injuries early this year, and had a very short and ineffective rehab stint in Low-A, but he otherwise did about what was expected of him. Detroit’s 3rd-round pick in 2018, Clemens is a streaky, below-average hitter and defender who offers enough patience and left-handed pop to merit some interest as a bench bat. Clemens played most of his games at second base, but he also made 20 starts in right field, and he manned first base a handful of times.

The Tigers added him to their 40-man roster this offseason, and Clemens will probably see a few games in Detroit as an injury replacement, but he figures to spend most of the 2022 season back in Triple-A Toledo, and it’s unlikely he’s a huge part of the Tigers’ future.

Detroit Tigers No. 17 Prospect – Daniel Cabrera – OF

Detroit’s farm system is deceptively shallow, and Daniel Cabrera was the team’s second 2nd-round pick in 2020. If not for those two factors, Cabrera’s disappointing 2021 likely would have pushed him out of our top 20. A well-regarded hitter at LSU, Cabrera was ranked as one of the top-45 draft prospects in 2020 by Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and FanGraphs, so it was considered a small coup when the Tigers landed him with the 62nd pick. He posted an .807 OPS in May, but unfortunately that was the highlight in an otherwise tough professional debut.

Cabrera wasn’t necessarily overmatched, and he did show decent power, but too often he was fooled by breaking balls, leading to a high number of weakly hit grounders to the right side of the infield. He played all three outfield positions in 2021, and he’s a solid athlete with a decent arm, but he didn’t get great reads as a center fielder, and he probably fits best in left. There’s still time for Cabrera to improve, but the player fans saw last season probably tops out as a 4th outfielder.

Detroit Tigers No. 15 Prospect – Beau Brieske – RHP

Beau Brieske might have been the best story in the Detroit Tigers minor-league system in 2021. An Arizona native, Brieske spent his first two years of college as a two-way player at Glendale Community College, before moving on to Division II Colorado State University-Pueblo. The Tigers selected him in the 27th-round of the 2019 draft, and he now appears poised to become the first former ThunderWolves pitcher to reach the big leagues.

Brieske’s overall profile isn’t all that different from Garrett Hill, but Brieske performed better at Double-A, and he’s more than two years younger. Brieske’s fastball is an average, low-90s offering that will occasionally hit 95 MPH, but his changeup is a plus pitch with sink and fade that helped him hold left-handed hitters to a .512 OPS last year. He throws a curve with 11-7 action and a harder slider, but both pitches are fringy and inconsistent. Brieske pounds the zone with all of his offerings, and he looks like a potential back-end starter who could make his MLB debut in 2022.

Detroit Tigers No. 14 Prospect – Dylan Smith – RHP

*College stats

The Detroit Tigers made a concerted effort to add pitching depth to their system in the 2021 draft, and they used their third-round pick (74th overall) on Alabama righty Dylan Smith. Like many of their 2021 draftees, Smith didn’t suit up for any actual pro games, so his scouting report largely remains the same as it was on draft day.

Smith threw just 16.2 innings out of the bullpen as a freshman, and only 6.1 innings in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but he moved into Alabama’s Friday-night role last year and held his own against some of the best hitters in college baseball. Smith delivers fastballs in the 91-94 MPH range, and his mid-80s slider projects as an above-average offering. His loose, athletic delivery and wiry frame suggest he could throw harder in the near future, and there’s some mid-rotation potential here, but he’ll need to refine his command and find a more consistent third offering.

Detroit Tigers No. 13 Prospect – Christian Santana – IF

Oddly enough, the advent of a hard cap on spending for international free agents has led to the Detroit Tigers making larger investments in that market than ever before. Christian Santana became their biggest signing yet, garnering a $2.95 million bonus as the headliner from their 2020 class. His strong professional debut suggests he might be their best international prospect in years.

It’s best to avoid making too much of rookie-level stats, but Santana’s wRC+ was good for 5th in the DSL thanks to a solid combination of power and patience. Scouting reports from his time as an amateur suggest Santana has a chance to develop into an above-average hitter. Santana split his time between shortstop and third base this season, but it seems likely he’ll eventually settle in as a second baseman. Santana will likely make his U.S. debut in the Florida Complex League in 2022, but there’s an outside chance the organization pushes him to Low-A Lakeland.

Detroit Tigers No. 12 Prospect – Reese Olson – RHP

Milwaukee spent $440K in the 13th round of the 2018 draft to lure Reese Olson away from Georgia Tech, but he wasn’t particularly impressive in his first two seasons of pro ball. He looked better in 2021, though, and the Tigers were able to snag him the day before his 22nd birthday when they traded Daniel Norris to the Brewers. Olson continued to pitch well in the Detroit system, and he earned a promotion to Double-A Erie after 11 dominant innings with the West Michigan Whitecaps.

Olson has a true four-pitch mix, led by an above-average fastball that can hit 96 MPH early in outings, but generally settles into the 91-94 range. All three of his secondary pitches are above-average offerings, though his upper-80s changeup and low-80s slider are a bit more consistent than his high-70s curve. It’s a starter’s arsenal, and Olson holds his stuff fairly well, but he’s not terribly big (6’1, 170lbs) and his wonky delivery leads to below-average command. The Tigers will likely continue to develop him as a starter, but his MLB future is most likely as a multi-purpose middle reliever along the lines of Alex Lange.

Detroit Tigers No. 11 Prospect – Gage Workman – IF

The Tigers selected Gage Workman in the 4th round (102nd overall) of the 2020 draft, but they used their large bonus pool to entice him into pro ball with a $1 million bonus that was nearly double the recommended slot. Workman was unusually young and projectible for a college junior, and his tools were certainly good enough to merit that extra investment. His first pro season featured some ups and downs — he struggled mightily in his first month at High-A — but Workman made some impressive adjustments and flashed enough promise to nearly crack our top ten.

Tall, lean, and athletic, Workman shows strong defensive tools, including good reactions, solid range, and a strong arm. He played shortstop exclusively this year, and he’s capable of making spectacular plays at the position, but as he continues to get bigger and stronger he’ll likely return to his college position of third base, where he could be a plus defender. Workman has a lot of pop in his bat, and he shows above-average speed — he was one of just six minor leaguers to hit 30+ doubles and steal 30+ bases last year — but his profile is dragged down by swing-and-miss issues and questionable contact skills. These were particularly glaring as a right-handed hitter, where he posted a .483 OPS and a 37% strikeout rate. Workman has the secondary tools to be an above-average MLB regular, but he may struggle to even make it as a utility man if he can’t improve his contact rates.

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Check back tomorrow to see Part Two, when we unveil our top ten Detroit Tigers prospects for 2022.