Detroit Tigers: 3 prospects, 2 minor league veterans that will contribute in the first half

The Detroit Tigers have a lot of young players that are expected to contribute this year

The Detroit Tigers are planning on giving a lot of at-bats to young players this season. This will obviously include a few prospects. A few made a splash in spring training, but the Tigers chose not to carry any.

That doesn't mean we won't see any of those prospects this season—not by a long shot. In fact, we'll likely see a few sooner rather than later. The Tigers have veterans like Jonathan Schoop that are on short leashes. This regime probably won't wait around to see if they'll hit.

Here are three prospects and two minor league veterans that are likely to make an impact in the first half of the season for the Detroit Tigers

3 prospects that will contribute: OF Parker Meadows

Everybody wanted see Meadows make the Opening Day roster after the spring he had. He tied with Nick Maton for the team lead in homers with five. It seemed like he hit the ball hard every time he came up to bat.

However, he also led the team in strikeouts this spring, which is likely what led the team to send him down to Triple-A to start the season. But his talent is undeniable.

It's crazy to think that this time last year, most people had written Meadows off. It had been four years since he was drafted and he looked like a bust. Now, he's knocking on the door of the majors.

I don't think it'll be too long for him at this point. If he hits like he was in spring training, I think we'll see him sometime in May. The Tigers will live with the strikeouts if he's going to crush baseballs and play great defense in the outfield.

INF Andre Lipcius

Lipcius also had a great spring, but was demoted the same day as Meadows. He has hitting for a surprising amount of power, which was very promising. He seems to be just an injury away from a call-up.

The thing that makes Lipcius so interesting as a prospect is his plate discipline. He walked more than he struck out in the minors last year. He also started hitting for more gap-to-gap power.

The one real question mark lies with his defense. He struggled a bit in spring training, particulary at first base. We all know the Detroit Tigers want versatility, and he plays second and third adequately. That could be the main reason he was sent down.

If there's an injury or underperformance in the infield, Lipcius still figures to be at least one of the first to be called up, if not the very first. Zack Short is likely his only real competition, though it sounds like Tyler Nevin will replace Zach McKinstry whenever he's comes off the IL. But let's say they DFA Schoop. Lipcius would probably be the best option, provided that he's performing well in Toledo.

RHP Brendan White

The bullpen, much like the rest of the roster, will be a revolving door all season long. Arms will constantly be going back and forth between Detroit and Toledo. One of the first to be called up will likely be Brendan White.

White had a solid spring, but struggled with his command at times. He's got a nice fastball and a wicked slider. If he throws strikes, he could be a dominant arm out of the 'pen.

He is probably not the first arm in the pecking order. Miguel Diaz and Tyler Holton are among the arms that will likely get the call before he does. But I still expect him to get called up well before the All-Star break.

White has the potential to be a really nice reliever for the Detroit Tigers. Expect to see him up sooner rather than later.

LHP Joey Wentz

Wentz may technically still be a prospect, but he won't be for much longer. He'll get at least one start in April before Michael Lorenzen rejoins the rotation. Beyond that, I still expect Wentz to get a lot of innings with the Detroit Tigers this season.

He had a great September and an outstanding performance in the Arizona Fall League. The key was that he started throwing strikes consistently. That's why it was so hard for me to keep him in Toledo in my roster projections.

He's definitely big league ready. He just needs to pound the zone with that cutter. If he does that, he'll be pretty good.

Joey Wentz gives the Detroit Tigers a very solid and capable sixth starter. If anybody else gets hurt, he can step right in and fill that void.