Detroit Tigers: 3 hitting prospects to be excited about beyond 2022

The Detroit Tigers selecting Izaac Pacheco was an excellent investment.

In 2021, the Detroit Tigers opted to use their second-round selection on a prep shortstop out of Friendswood high school in Texas. Izaac Pacheco was viewed as one of the top prep bats in the draft class, behind the likes of Marcelo Mayer and Brady House, who were both first-rounders.

Pacheco has a larger 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame with strength that keeps developing. While he’s listed as a shortstop, this larger build makes me think he may wind up moving to the hot corner. Even with Ryan Kreidler killing it after making his debut, Pacheco is someone to keep in the back pocket as the future at third base.

He’s got plenty of excitement. The Tigers took him, knowing it would take time to get him in the weight room and polish the on-field tools. But there’s plenty to like with what he has to offer. He slashed .267/.342/.415 with 21 doubles and eight home runs over 330 at-bats with the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers.

He has since been promoted, which has led to a not-so-exciting performance. He’s slashed .185/.262/.333 over 54 at-bats with the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps. There’s plenty of room for improvement there, but the long game with Pacheco is still the winner.

After all, he’s just 19 years old, with room to keep improving. Playing the long game, he’s someone to be excited about beyond this season. He can bounce back next summer and be one of the organization’s better prospects.

Currently ranked as the eighth best prospect on the farm according to MLB Pipeline, Pacheco’s projectability should leave fans excited. The possibility of becoming a power-hitting corner infielder or even a shortstop with some pop is exciting.