Experts are conflicted about the future of Tigers' former top catching prospect

No one is really sure what to make of Thayron Liranzo. He was once considered one of the top prospects in the Detroit Tigers farm system, but a rough 2025 has now even made the experts question his future.

A recent FanGraphs article debated Liranzo's struggles last season. One expert prospect analyst, Eric Longenhagen, defended the young catcher and brought up the fact that Liranzo dealt with personal tragedy last year, which could have impacted his results on the field.

Another expert, Brendan Gawlowski, noted that even though Liranzo dealt with the off-the-field issues and an injury last season, even before those things popped up he had concerns about his defensive abilities behind the plate and argued that he is pretty one-dimensional as a hitter.

So what is the truth with the young catcher? Was 2025 a blip or is he on the way down?

Experts debate whether Thayron Liranzo is legit part of Tigers future

Let's take a look at the numbers. Last season with Double-A Erie Liranzo slashed .206/.308/.351 with 11 home runs and 45 runs batted in. Those numbers aren't great, but it's not like he tore it up the previous season either.

In 2024 he hit .244/.378/.408 with 12 home runs and 50 runs batted in although his numbers did improve after he joined Detroit's organization following the Jack Flaherty trade that brought him over from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dominican is still just 22-years-old so he has time to turn things around. 2026 will be a good litmus test to see if 2025 was an aberration or if the Tigers need to start thinking about him in a much different way.

Catchers who are also switch-hitters deserve a long leash and some patience, so don't expect the Tigers to pull the plug too early on him, even if there was some thought that Detroit could try to trade him at the Winter Meetings last year.

Even if Liranzo doesn't pan out, the Tigers can at least feel good about the fact that they have another top-five catcher prospect. Josue Briceño was ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the organization last year and he showed promise in 2025, batting .266/.383/.500 with 20 homers and 76 runs batted in while earning a promotion to Double-A.

Still, Liranzo can look at 2026 as a fresh start after the challenges he dealt with last year. Maybe he can put the struggles behind him and reclaim his status as a top prospect.