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

Wenceel Perez is another Detroit Tigers infielder to be excited about.

The Detroit Tigers signed Wenceel Perez back in 2016 as an international free agent. He was a scrawny and lanky middle infielder with a lot of raw talent. After five seasons with the organization, he has started to put all the pieces together.

He’s added third base to his resume and can slot in at any of the infield positions besides first base. In 2022, he has re-broken out and started to really settle in; even after a promotion, he continues to improve.

There is plenty to like about the toolsy infielder who has added polish. He’s a switch-hitter at the dish and has produced solid numbers at the Double-A level with the Erie SeaWolves. He’s moved away from shortstop, but there are still reasons to like him as he has re-established himself this summer.

He’s thickened up, growing into his body more, and looks like he has a shot to keep pushing towards the big leagues. He came up as a skinny shortstop who was a slap-hitter, finding open space and spraying the field to hustle out hits.

Nowadays, he’s grown into the frame and has learned to drive the ball more frequently, getting some loft under it and attacking the gaps. It’s helped him slash .307/.374/.540 with ten doubles, five triples, and five home runs over 150 at-bats with the SeaWolves.

This comes after he slashed .286/.364/.529 with 13 doubles, five triples, and nine home runs over 206 at-bats with the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps. He’s been able to improve all-around. As 2022 ends, he’s someone to watch moving forward.