This unsung Tigers 1B prospect could give Spencer Torkelson, Josue Briceño some competition

It's been a while since the Tigers' first base position truly felt settled. Perhaps not since Miguel Cabrera in 2017 has it felt like we had among the top options at the position, and not since 2023 that we believed Spencer Torkelson had a real shot to be the guy the Tigers drafted 1-1.

That said, Scott Harris has done his due diligence to fill the system with first base talent, and in the most recent draft selected the "prettiest high school swing" in first base prospect Will Adams. But lost in all the excitement is a first base prospect that had the type of breakout campaign that should and him on some prospect radars going into 2027.

Beau Ankeney from a glance

Beau Ankeney is a 23 year-old first baseman drafted in the 14th round of the 2025 draft out of Loyola Marymount University. In his final season in college, Ankeney hit 22 homers with a .358 average, suggesting he may have fallen due to his positional value and the smaller school he came from.

But the 6'4" first baseman carries a devastating power tool that looks like it could ascend the minors on its own. Add in that he's shown the ability to hit for high average as well, and it's curious how he so rarely garners discussion outside of specifically Tigers minor league reporting circuits.

The breakout

To start, Ankeney arrived in Lakeland to play for the Single-A Flying Tigers, and did not get off to the hottest start, probably still adjusting to professional baseball. It wasn't until June that his massive campaign would take flight, posting a .314/.366/.640 slash with seven home runs. But that production would remain very consistent for the rest of the season.

This breakout would earn him a promotion to High-A West Michigan at the end of July, where he would fill the shoes of the recently promoted Garrett Pennington. Somehow, things would get even better from there. He posted his best month as a professional by slashing .290/.398/.681 with eight home runs.

The slight trade-off in batting average is worth the massive on-base and power spike. By the end of the season, Ankeney had posted 24 homers after hitting just four prior to June. This total would tie him with Izaac Pacheco for second in the Tigers' minor league system in 2026.

While the Tigers likely have first base under control for the foreseeable future, it is nice to know that they have so many intriguing options at the position if it were ever an area of concern. Ankeney is not a top prospect, nor even a heralded one, but he had the type of summer that changes how a prospect is viewed and that's worth acknowledging.

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