3 prospects likely to debut with the Detroit Tigers in 2023

The Detroit Tigers will be giving lots of at-bats to young hitters

Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris has made it a point that he wants to give at-bats to young players. The Tigers have a lot of young hitters, and it seems like they're going to get every chance possible to succeed.

The team also has a lot of prospects knocking at the door of the big leagues. Some of these prospects had big years in the upper minors in 2022 and are ready to take that last step and receive that call-up to the majors.

The Detroit Tigers seem intent on letting the kids play, for better or for worse. They could either be really fun to watch in 2023, or really bad. Nevertheless, quite a few prospects will be making their major league debut in 2023. Here's a look at three of them.

3B/OF Justyn-Henry Malloy

Malloy was acquired in the Joe Jimenez trade during last month's Winter Meetings, and he had a breakout year in the Braves' system in 2022. He flew through the minors last year, going from A-ball all the way to Triple-A by season's end. As Scott Harris said when he acquired him, he's been dictating his own development.

His on-base percentage was over .400 at both High-A and Double-A, with his walk rate ranging anywhere from just under 15% to 18%. He doesn't have a ton of raw power, but he did hit 22 home runs in the minors last year, which suggests that he could be starting to develop some more pop.

Defensively, he's a third baseman by trade, but got some time in the outfield last year. Sadly, there's a reason for that. He had a whopping 24 errors at third base between Low-A and High-A. The Braves moved him to left field when he got to Double-A, where he was much better.

If you really want to get a sense of what Malloy is all about, I highly recommend you watch or listen to this interview that Tigers Minor League Report did with him. Once he starts talking about his approach at the plate and his general routine, I can almost guarentee you will fall in love this kid.

Malloy seems like a lock to make the big leagues this year, and for good reason. He could be a nice bat for the Tigers for years to come.

OF Parker Meadows

The younger brother of Tigers' OF Austin Meadows, Parker re-established himself as a prospect to watch for the Detroit Tigers in 2022. Something finally seemed to click for him.

He started making more contact, hitting for more power, walking more, and striking out less. He's always had great speed thanks to his height and long strides, and that was still the case in 2022 with 17 stolen bases in Double-A. Because of his speed, he's projected as a centerfielder long term.

The one question he still has to answer is can he hit lefties? He hits righties pretty well, but still struggles against same-handed pitching. His success and role at the major league level will probably be determined by how much he improves in that area.

Meadows will probably start the 2023 season in Triple-A after spending most of the 2022 season in Double-A. If he picks up where left off last season, he should get the call sometime over the summer.