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Detroit Tigers: Projecting the 2022 Erie SeaWolves Lineup

By Chris Brown |
Detroit Tigers prospects Danny Cabrera and Gage Workman head to the batting cages.
Detroit Tigers prospects Danny Cabrera and Gage Workman head to the batting cages.
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Continuing our roster-projection for the Detroit Tigers affiliates.

For the past few weeks we’ve been projecting the rosters for each of the Detroit Tigers’ four full-season minor-league affiliates. Rogelio has been handling the pitching, while I’ve been projecting the lineups. Today we turn our attention the Erie SeaWolves, Detroit’s Double-A affiliate.

Last year the SeaWolves began the season with 12 position players, so we’ll use that as our goal for today. Once again we’ll split the list into three groups — Catcher, Infield, and Outfield — and then offer some background information on each player.

Detroit Tigers: West Michigan Catcher Projections (2)

Tigers catcher prospect Dillon Dingler watches during batting practice.
Tigers catcher prospect Dillon Dingler watches during batting practice. /
  • Dillon Dingler – The Tigers used their top pick on day two of the 2020 MLB Draft on Dingler, and it didn’t take him long to look like a first-round talent. He joined Spencer Torkelson at “Summer Camp” after the draft, and then he and Tork began their pro career with the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2021. Dingler homered in his second pro game and dominated on both sides of the ball for six weeks in High-A, finishing his time there with .925 OPS. He continued to perform for his fist two weeks in Erie, but then his offensive production collapsed, and he suffered a hand injury. He’ll return to the SeaWolves to try to recapture than early success.
  • Jon Rosoff – Dingler is the priority here, so whomever ends up as the backup will be something of a caddie for him. The Tigers have a few other options — Cole MacLaren, Brady Policelli, and Chris Proctor, to name a few — but Rosoff is the only one of these catchers who came to the minor-league mini camp. A four-year starter at Army, Rosoff doesn’t offer much in the way of power, but he battles through at-bats, and most importantly, the organization seems to value his defense and intangibles.

Detroit Tigers: West Michigan Infield Projections (6)

Hitting coordinator Jeff Branson talks with prospect Gage Workman.
Hitting coordinator Jeff Branson talks with prospect Gage Workman. /
  • Luis Carpio – A native of Venezuela, Carpio signed with the New York Mets when he was just 16, and he spent the next eight years in their system. He was viewed as a legitimate prospect early in his career, but he was always more of a grinder than a toolshed, and he’s a career .246/.327/.344 hitter. He’s a solid defender though, and we have him as Erie’s opening-day second baseman, though he can slide to shortstop or third base if needed.
  • Jake Holton – As a 10th-round first baseman with fringe-average raw power, Jake Holton has never been viewed as a priority prospect, but he may have raised some eyebrows with his performance last year. He posted an .836 OPS in 45 games at Low-A Lakeland, but then he jumped up to West Michigan for 30 games and raised his OPS 90 points while cutting his strikeout rate by 4%.
  • Andre Lipcius – Andre Lipcius slipped into the back of our top 20 prospects list because he offers a solid mix of defense, hitting ability, and patience. He quickly hit his way out of West Michigan last year and he was passable for 94 games in Erie (90 wRC+). He may very well get pushed to Toledo out of necessity (lots of potential Mud Hens infielders are on the Detroit Tigers 40-man roster), but we think he fits best as the starting third baseman in Erie.
  • Andrew Navigato – Navigato seemed like a glove-first infielder when the Tigers drafted him in the 20th round in 2019, but he proved surprisingly solid with the bat last year, posting a .741 OPS while climbing three levels and playing four different positions. He’s one of a handful of super utility types who could start at just about any level in 2022.
  • John Valente – Another of those super utility types, John Valente falls out of bed and hits .300. He batted .352 over four years in college, and he owns a career .314 batting average in three minor-league seasons. He spent 66 games in Erie last year, batting .301/.363/.445 while playing five positions, and we think he may return to the SeaWolves again this year.
  • Gage Workman – Few Detroit Tigers prospects can match Gage Workman’s raw power, and he also happens to be an average runner with a chance to be an above-average defender on the left side of the infield. The big question mark with Workman is his hit tool — his .237/.302/.440 line and 34% strikeout rate in High-A West Michigan don’t exactly scream promotion, but he seemed to make some strong adjustments down the stretch. He struggled to a .522 OPS and 40% strikeout rate over his first 23 games with the Whitecaps, but then hit .266/.344/.513 and dropped his K-rate by 10% over his final 45 contests. Erie will be a challenge for him, but we think Workman is their opening-day shortstop.

Detroit Tigers: West Michigan Outfield Projections (4)

Erie SeaWolves batter Eric De La Rosa is hit by a pitch.
Erie SeaWolves batter Eric De La Rosa is hit by a pitch. /
  • Daniel Cabrera – Cabrera was generally viewed as an advanced hitter and a top-40 prospect heading into the 2020 draft, so it felt a bit like a steal when he slid to the Tigers at pick 62. He had a solid first month in West Michigan, but couldn’t manage an OPS over .720 in any subsequent month, and he hit just .174/.197/.344 in 17 games after his promotion to Double-A Erie. He’s due for a return engagement with the SeaWolves, and he’ll need to step it up with his bat to prove his ceiling is anything more than a 4th outfielder.
  • Kerry Carpenter – Carpenter took home MVP in the 2019 GCL, and then he skipped over two levels to land at Erie in 2021. Given the circumstances, his production was pretty impressive, with a .262/.319/.433 slash line and 15 home runs. There’s probably not enough defensive versatility or on-base ability for Carpenter to make it to the big leagues, but his lefty pop should make him a staple in Detroit’s upper minors for a few more seasons.
  • Eric De La Rosa – De La Rosa made one of the biggest developmental leaps in the system last year, going from hitting .148 in short-season ball in 2019 to posting a 124 wRC+ across three levels and participating in the Arizona Fall League in 2021. Contact issues may ultimately keep him from the big leagues, but he still has enticing tools and athleticism, and he deserves another shot at Double-A, where he hit .226/.339/.409 over 29 games last year.
  • Austin Murr – Murr drew plaudits for his on-base skills at N.C. State, but he was viewed as a bit of a money saver in the 6th round of last year’s draft. He quickly proved too advanced for the low minors, though, posting a .492 on-base percentage in Low-A Lakeland, and then hitting .344/.412/.422 over 25 games in West Michigan. He played mostly left field as a pro last year, and he can also handle first base, but he’ll need to find a way to hit for more game power to stick at either spot.

Next. Minor league road map: Erie SeaWolves. dark

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