FanSided

Detroit Tigers: 3 prospects to be high on after the 2022 season

By Tyler Kotila |
Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Jackson Jobe throws live batting practice during spring training.
Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Jackson Jobe throws live batting practice during spring training. / Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Detroit Tigers farm system still has some diamonds in the rough.

The Detroit Tigers farm system is far from the best in the league. They are not chock-full of exciting talent, but there are some players that should leave fans excited about what could be. The catch is these players may not make it to Detroit in the long run.

There are a few players who the Detroit Tigers may consider keeping around. Even though there are players who "should" be kept around that will be traded, there is at least a crop of players who could have a genuinely positive impact on the Tigers roster moving forward.

Even though there are players who the Tigers have in the farm system who may not make their debuts in a Detroit uniform because of the roster purge, there are prospects who will see it through. That being said, let's take a bit of a dive into three players who have a shot at doing so.

These are prospects who offer something of benefit to the Tigers organization moving forward and may just be kept around to allow the Tigers to squeeze some benefit out of these players rather than trading them to reload the organization or trading them to upgrade an MLB-level need.

Detroit Tigers fans should be high on Jackson Jobe

"Leave Jackson Jobe alone." It's the message Motor City Bengals Co-Expert Matthew Scheidel uttered in a piece dating back to September. Scheidel penned a story about the scrutiny that Jackson Jobe faces because of the Tigers' choice to draft the prep arm over the prep shortstop, Marcelo Mayer, who the Boston Red Sox drafted.

On draft day, the Tigers fanbase watched as Jobe was the pick over Mayer, nearly rioting and lighting Comerica Park on fire. The hatred shared on various social media outlets was real. But, as Scheidel notes, it was time to move on.

Jobe still has plenty to offer. He may not be posting Joey Wentz AFL-type numbers or throwing perfect game after perfect game in the minors, but that is okay. The stuff that Jobe possesses has a real upside for the Tigers.

After all, this was an Al Avila-era draft pick, but it seems more like a Chris Fetter got his guy type of pick. Tigers fans know that Fetter loves himself a high-velocity fastball and high-spin slider combo pitcher. Jobe may not have the high-velocity fastball, and command has been wavering at times, but the slider has been every bit as good as expected.

I had to showcase one of those nasty sliders... but back to the regularly scheduled programming. Jobe spent the summer with the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers, where he made 18 starts and totaled 61.2 innings pitched. Jobe pitched to a 4.52 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP while managing 25 walks to 71 punchouts.

He earned a late summer call-up to make a few starts with the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps, where he made three starts, totaling 15.2 innings pitched. He allowed just ten hits and two earned runs. He walked five but punched out ten opposing hitters.

The stats may not jump off the paper, but he brought an advanced pitch arsenal into affiliated ball with strides to be made as he learned to better sequence, attack hitters, and get outs. There was a Twitter thread from Trevor Hooth of WJR and Prospects Live that showcases precisely this.

Coming out of the draft, the high-spin fastball/slider was already good, and we knew that. Jobe needed to continue finding ways to climb the velocity ladder, throw more strikes (not hittable meatballs), and attack pro hitters with deceptiveness.

Ultimately, Jobe made strides to improve at those things during the 2022 season. I urge you to check out Hooth's thread linked above to see some clear examples of what I mean by attacking hitters and increasing his pitchability to pair with the gross stuff that he already has.

With a promising year in 2022, I think there are more than enough reasons to be excited about what Jobe could bring to the table moving forward. Tigers fans need to put the pick of Jobe over Mayer in the past and be excited about the development Jobe has shown to this point.

Detroit Tigers breakout Double-A pitcher Reese Olson

The Detroit Tigers held a coming-out party for Reese Olson in 2022. The Tigers' right-handed pitching prospect has made significant leaps, and the 2022 season saw him find his stride with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves.

The Tigers acquired Olson when they traded Daniel Norris to the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline in 2021. Norris made his way back to the Tigers organization, and Olson broke out as a high-level prospect who might just be the most intriguing one.

He may not be the best prospect or at the top of the list, but he's jumped closer to the top of the list, and his stuff makes him valuable and even more intriguing. He has relief upside for sure as a high-leverage arm, but the stuff is still hanging on as a starter.

Olson made 25 starts in 2022, accumulating 119.2 innings pitched while pitching to a 4.14 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. He issued 38 walks while managing 168 punchouts for the Tigers Double-A affiliate. He had several Pitcher of Month/Week awards credited to him.

Whereas we talked about Jobe being a FB/SL/CH mix guy, Olson has all four offerings, really showing a better feel for his arsenal in 2022. He has a fastball, slider, and changeup as his primary offerings, but he also shows a curveball with a much different look than the slider.

I'd like to once again give a shoutout to Trevor Hooth for his efforts and time spend cutting the video. Any scout has been there and done that, so shoutout to him for putting together a fantastic thread linked here.

Hooth also mentions in a breakdown at the end of the thread that he thinks Olson still has rotational upside. With a viable four-pitch mix and proven starter track record in 2022, there's plenty to like moving forward.

In fact, Olson was rewarded for his successful summer of 2022 by the Tigers. He was added to the team's 40-man roster and protected from the Rule 5 Draft. Moving forward, the Tigers just need Olson to translate success to Triple-A and, eventually, the big leagues.

I feel like the arm talent is easily recognizable with Olson. Between the stuff and the talent he's shown, he just needs to keep climbing the ranks and prove he can be effective. Tigers fans should be excited about what Olson brings to the table, one of Avila's few trades marked as a "win."

Detroit Tigers infield prospect Izaac Pacheco is going to hit.

It may seem like a menial phrase to suggest a player is going to be a hitter or hit. But, for Detroit Tigers infield prospect Izaac Pacheco, the statement reigns true. The former second-round pick out of Friendswood High School in Texas has excelled as he's gotten acclimated to the organization.

Pacheco was drafted as a prep shortstop with a projectable frame and body with tools to match. He's still just 19 years old, with room to keep firming up his build and developing some strength. Pacheco has a 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame that's only going to improve.

The hit tools continue to develop and prove to be exciting moving forward. Pacheco swung it well for the Single-A affiliate in 2022. He earned a promotion to the High-A affiliate, but things did not go as well for him with the West Michigan Whitecaps.

In his time with the Lakeland Flying Tigers, Pacheco managed 88 games played with 371 plate appearances. He slashed .267/.342/.415 with 21 doubles, two triples, and eight home runs to his credit. Pacheco also picked up 39 RBI for the Flying Tigers.

When he got promoted, Pacheco managed only 18 games played in a shorter stint. He accumulated 73 plate appearances, slashing .183/.274/.367 with only two doubles and three home runs for 13 RBI in total.

Take a look at the swings the Tigers showcase in the tweet above. After all, his time in West Michigan was not great, but the power continues to shine through. He's quick to the ball with explosive rotation on the swing.

The hips clear as he rotates, and he's got the strength to produce loud contact. He's got the ability to impact the baseball and show off pull-side juice. There's much to like about Pacheco moving forward, including his athleticism.

Pacheco is an example of a projectable body prep player with the tools that project to match. Granted, he's still got a long way to go, but there's more than enough reason to remain high on the left-handed bat.

On top of the tools in the batters' box, Pacheco carries the athleticism and upside with the frame into the field. He's spent time on the left side of the field for the Tigers. He was a prep shortstop. I've said that he has a corner infield projection if he continues to add to the frame and put on some weight via muscle.

Tigers fans should be looking forward to the progression path Izaac Pacheco could take moving forward.

Next. Detroit Tigers phone a friend to acquire Steele Walker from the Giants. light

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