Detroit Tigers Top 30 Prospects for 2023: 30-26

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The Motor City Bengals 2023 Top 30 Detroit Tigers Prospect Rankings: 30-26

Welcome to the first installment of our Detroit Tigers prospect rankings for 2023. The Detroit Tigers' farm system has underwent some dramatic changes over the past couple of years, mainly due to the graduations of some of their top talent like Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, Spencer Torkelson, and Riley Greene.

This new wave of talent doesn't come with the sky-high ceilings of the aforementioned names, but there is a newfound depth that the club has not contained for some time, and the best prospect in the system is now far from a consensus.

MLB Pipeline recently dropped their new Top 100 rankings as we approach the 2023 season with three Detroit Tigers checking in: Jackson Jobe (63), Jace Jung (83), and Wilmer Flores (95). Whether we follow that order with our personal top three remains to be seen.

Let's dive in, though, starting with our 30-26. Spoiler alert, these are some names that received some level of vote but did not make the list: Jose De La Cruz, Danny Cabrera, Carlos Mendoza, Austin Bergner.

30. Chance Kirby

Kirby is a 27-year-old and former 25th-round pick of the Detroit Tigers in the 2018 draft out of the University of Texas San Antonio. The right-hander has amassed a career 3.77 ERA in his minor league career; spanning 60 starts and over 350 innings. In 2022, Kirby supplied a 2.62 ERA for Double-A Erie.

He is more of a finesse pitcher that may scrape the big leagues thanks to his strike throwing ability. As former site expert, Chris Brown so eloquently explained: organizations will show you how they feel about you. The Tigers had they thought Kirby had a legitimate and quick chance at helping them, would have quickly promoted the 26-year-old Kirby after his fast and steady start in Double-A. Instead, they left him there the entire year to perform.

Leading the @erie_seawolves and Eastern League in ERA, WHIP and opposing average, there's no overlooking Chance Kirby now.

Under the radar @tigers prospects to watch in 2023: https://t.co/cENgXChxqP pic.twitter.com/t7bbsfENPc
— Detroit Tigers Player Development (@RoadtoDetroit) December 5, 2022

Kirby ultimately has a role 30 ceiling as an emergency starter at the highest levels, which leaves him at our 30th spot on the list.

29. Brendan White

White was a moderate surprise as a 40-man roster add following the 2022 season, which protected him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft this year. After some back-and-forth in 2021, White made the transition to full-time reliever and was rewarded: a 2.67 ERA in 48 games; 67 innings, just 44 hits, and 73 strikeouts.

It's a quick and deceptive motion and has gone primarily fastball/slider since the transition. The fastball is consistently mid-90's with ride and catching prospect Dillon Dingler believes White's slider is one of the best in the system. It's a relief profile all the way now as the transition back to being a starter is historically rare, but White has the potential to be an excellent mid-relief option as early as 2023.

28. Luke Gold

Gold is one of the fresher prospects in the system; a fifth-round pick in 2022 out of Boston College. The righty checks in at 6'0, 220 lbs and has split time evenly between second base and third base in his brief pro career thus far, although he played primarily second in college. In 19 total pro games, Gold hit .200/.321/.231 between rookie ball and Lakeland.

Scouts believe Gold is an offense-first profile, a different type of player the Tigers are traditionally known for. It's contact over power generally, although Gold's 9 home runs across 53 games in 2022 does suggest there is some juice in his bat despite still looking for his first pro homer. Gold struck out just 28 times in 53 games for BC but his strikeout rate did creep up in pro ball (19 strikeouts in 22 games).

The Tigers have built some solid organizational depth at second with Jace Jung and Wenceel Perez--Gold has the potential to join their ranks with a strong first full season.

27. Luis Garcia

Garcia is a former top 100 prospect according to Baseball America (2019) and was a late-season waiver claim by the Tigers after designating RHP Michael Pineda for assignment. Garcia is a middle infielder who split time fairly evenly between second base and shortstop in his time with the Phillies. The switch-hitting Garcia appeared in just four games in the Tigers' organization following the claim--all of which were with the Erie Seawolves.

Garcia will play his entire 2023 season as a 22-year-old and figures to reach Triple-A Toledo with a strong showing in Erie first (he has just 10 Double-A games of experience, total thus far). Garcia has averaged over a strikeout per game in both 2021 and 2022; a stat the organization will surely look to taper. Still, he's taken over 100 walks over the past two seasons, an impressive feat considering his 2022 season was just 59 games.

Garcia could very well end up filling the Dawel Lugo or Willi Castro-type role, but that's a much easier pill to swallow when he was acquired for nothing.

26. Trei Cruz

Cruz is a 2020 third-round selection that has moved around the infield thus far in his pro career, but his development has been far from linear. 2021 included a demotion and a rough batting line: .161/.338/.268 with just two home runs in 63 games. Cruz rebounded a bit, though, and posted strong enough numbers to earn a nod to Double-A toward the end of 2022, followed by a solid .271/.360/.346 line in winter ball.

Despite Cruz playing almost exclusively shortstop and third base, I feel he's ultimately destined for second base due to a lack of arm strength in my viewings. However, there's no harm in making a more premium position work. Given his versatility, it might be challenging to get him his repetitions there depending on the construction of the rest of the roster.

As is the case with many twitchy, young infielders, Cruz's heights depend on his offense. If he can hit, they will find a spot for him in Detroit.

Next. Detroit Tigers announce non-roster invites to Spring Training. dark

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