Tigers flurry of prospect promotions somehow hasn't affected health of farm system

Just last month, the Detroit Tigers had three prospects in Baseball America's Top 100 – pitcher Jackson Jobe, outfielder Max Clark and shortstop Kevin McGonigle. Now, after a September re-rank, the number of Tigers prospects in the Top 100 has more than doubled ... to seven.

The original three are all still there, but they have all moved up in the rankings. Jobe has made the jump from No. 5 to No. 3; Clark, from No. 29 to No. 21; and McGonigle, from No. 30 to No. 23.

Four fellow Tigers prospects have joined these three in the Top 100, including third baseman Jace Jung (No. 73), shortstop Bryce Rainer (No. 84), catcher Thayron Liranzo (No. 90) and pitcher Jaden Hamm (No. 95).

Tigers flurry of prospect promotions somehow hasn't affected health of farm system in latest ranking

Having seven of the Top 100 prospects in baseball is a remarkable achievement in its own right, but what makes the feat even more impressive for the Tigers is the fact that their recent flurry of minor league call-ups hasn't depleted their farm system. In fact, according to Baseball America, their system has actually gotten better.

Jung, the Tigers’ first-round pick in 2022, was recently called up to the major leagues and will likely lose his prospect classification after this season. His slash line of .192/.288/.231 through his first 15 MLB contests isn't all that impressive at first glance, but he has been solid defensively in his first taste of the big leagues, which has included three multi-hit games.

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Rainer is a new addition to the prospect ranks after the Tigers selected him in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, and he has yet to play a pro game. Liranzo, one of two players the Tigers got from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty trade, has slashed an impressive .325/.469/.571 in 22 games since joining High-A West Michigan. Hamm, the Tigers’ fifth-round pick in 2023, is also with West Michigan and is 5-4 with a 2.75 ERA in 23 games (22 starts) this season. He has recorded 118 strikeouts and 31 walks in 95 innings of work.

The likes of Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Spencer Torkelson, and Riley Greene have long since passed through Detroit's Major League pipeline; and yet, against all odds, the Tigers' farm system is still thriving. With Jobe expected to make his Major League debut next season and others not long after, the future is looking brighter than ever in Detroit.

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