Tigers Spring Breakout Roster: 2 overlooked names to watch with Max Clark headlining

Detroit Tigers minor league outfielder Max Clark works out during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland on Friday, Feb. 20, 2025.
Detroit Tigers minor league outfielder Max Clark works out during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland on Friday, Feb. 20, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Top Tigers prospects Max Clark (No. 2 in 2025) and Kevin McGonigle (No. 3) were notably left off of Detroit's spring training roster, but they were basically locks to be featured heavily during MLB's Spring Breakout showcase. This year, some of the Tigers' top emerging talent will take on the Braves' on March 16 at 4:05 PM at CoolToday Park.

It's sort of unfair to the Braves prospects; Baseball America ranked the Tigers' farm system the No. 2 system in baseball (behind the Red Sox's) and the Braves the 28th for 2025. Spring Breakout rosters rolled out on Thursday, and two of Atlanta's top-10 prospects will take on seven of Detroit's, including Clark and McGonigle.

Joining them are Nos. 4-6 Bryce Rainer, Thayron Liranzo, and Josue Briceño, and Nos. 8 and 9 Hao-Yu Lee and Jaden Hamm. Jackson Jobe and Jace Jung (Nos. 1 and 7) are in major league camp and both are likely to make the Opening Day roster, while Cris Rodriguez (No. 10) has yet to make his professional debut in the DSL.

11 other prospects in the Tigers' top 30 will also be featured in the exhibition, along with nine unranked players.

Tigers' Spring Breakout roster features Max Clark, six other top-10 Detroit prospects

All of the guys in the top 10 have already started to make a name for themselves, but lower into the pipeline, pitchers Joseph Montalvo (No. 20) and Tyler Owens (No. 29) will be ones to watch. Montalvo received high praise from The Athletic's resident prospect expert Keith Law, who ranked Montalvo at No. 15 on his personal ranking of the Tigers' top 20 prospects. Owens was one of three prospects the Tigers decided to protect from the Rule 5 draft, and his fastball earned a 60 grade from MLB Pipeline.

Liranzo has been raising his profile in the Tigers organization ever since he was acquired in the Jack Flaherty trade, and both he and Briceño made waves during the Arizona Fall League last year, with Briceño even winning the Triple Crown. This will also be Rainer's first time on a relatively large stage after he was drafted in the first round last year.

The Tigers/Braves Spring Breakout matchup will be available for fans to watch live and without blackouts on MLB.com. Clark, McGonigle, and everyone else in top 10 are easy bets to make a splash, but the depth of talent in Detroit's organization even further down the pipeline will also be on full display.

Schedule