Detroit Tigers: 2 prospects that need a promotion and 1 that needs a demotion

The Detroit Tigers are due for some movement in their farm system

It admittedly hasn’t been as fun to follow the Detroit Tigers’ farm system this year as it was in 2021. Their top two prospects from last season—Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson—were both slated to make the big league roster in 2022, although Greene obviously got hurt. However, there are still some interesting names to watch.

It is once again a very pitcher-heavy farm system, with half of MLB Pipeline’s top 30 prospects for the Detroit Tigers being pitchers. There are a few hitters worth paying attention to, but none of them (except maybe one) are eye-popping. Most of the intriguing Tigers’ hitting prospects are quite young as well, so they are still a few years away.

There hasn’t been nearly as much movement in the Tigers’ farm system this season compared to last season. Starting pitchers Wilmer Flores and Garrett Hill were both promoted to Double-A and Triple-A respectively a couple weeks ago, but that’s really been it. But there are definitely some players who are worthy of being moved, whether it’s up or down.

Here are two players worthy of a promotion and one that needs a quick detour.

3B Colt Keith, High-A to Double-A

Keith was a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft. The Detroit Tigers gave him a large signing bonus to keep him away from his commitment to Arizona State. So far, it’s safe to say both parties are happy in this situation.

Keith was a two-way player in high school, and was actually getting some buzz from teams looking to draft him as a pitcher. The whole hitting thing has worked out for him so far, as he is by far the best hitting prospect the Detroit Tigers have at the moment.

Here’s MLB Pipeline’s scouting report on Keith:

“Keith is athletic for his big frame…His size hasn’t yet translated into power, but he has a nice line-drive approach and advanced plate discipline for his age thanks in part to a quick, efficient left-handed swing that enables him to wait to commit. His .320 average at Lakeland included a .437 on-base percentage; followed by eight walks in 18 games at West Michigan. He doesn’t chase breaking balls out of the zone often, though he can be challenged by high velocity in the strike zone. He has quick reactions and a strong arm, but will need to continue working to stick at third.”

Keith’s advanced plate discipline has served him well. The Tigers have been awfully aggressive with him so far and that has also panned out. He’s played all of 2022 at High-A West Michigan, slashing .299/.372/.533 with a .905 OPS and eight home runs. At just 20 years old, he’s raked at every level of the minors so far. According to Fangraphs, Keith ranks seventh among High-A players 21 or younger in wRC+ at 152, and 10th in ISO at .234.

The Tigers have been aggressive with Keith in the past, and they should continue that aggression. Some thought he was getting promoted a couple weeks ago when Flores and Hill got the bump. He would be one of the youngest players at Double-A, but Keith has done nothing to show that he couldn’t handle that challenge.

SS Cristian Santana, Low-A to DSL

This is where not having short-season ball hurts. It’s awfully aggressive putting an 18-year-old in Low-A, but the Tigers didn’t really have a choice.

Santana was a highly-touted shortstop out of the Dominican Republic, and the Tigers inked him to $2.95 million deal in January 2021. He then posted a .941 OPS in the Dominican Summer League last season as a 17-year-old, so you can see why the Tigers made the decision to bump him up to Lakeland.

But he has struggled mightily in 2022. He’s slashing .149/.289/.284 with a .573 OPS. He is currently injured, which doesn’t help, but it’s really tough watching a young kid with as much talent as Santana struggle so much.

Here’s what Pipeline has to say about him:

“Santana has very strong legs, which provide both the strength of his right-handed swing and the low center of gravity that helps him move smoothly and quickly at short. His above-average bat speed and efficient swing allow him to turn on power pitches and make him difficult to pitch inside. He isn’t afraid to stand up on the plate and was hit by 15 pitches over just 54 games in the DSL. For his power, he doesn’t chase as often as others his age, and he can recognize breaking pitches. He might not make highlight plays at short, but he has the potential to be a reliable defender, earning him comparisons to Jhonny Peralta, though his current build brings some comparisons to former Tigers prospect Willy Adames. Santana has good speed with his leg strength but is still learning how to utilize it on the basepaths.”

The Jhonny Peralta comparisons are interesting because of his current build, as Pipeline notes. Peralta was considerably bulkier than Santana’s 6-foot, 165 lb stature, although he’ll probably add some weight as he gets older.

Part of me wants the Detroit Tigers to keep Santana in A-ball to see if he can work things out, especially since the injury has taken some at-bats away. But again, at just 18 years old, I think you can send him back down to rookie ball when their season starts back up and not feel too bad about it.