It’s no secret that the Tigers stripped their farm system almost bare a year ago to make several trades for veteran major leaguers. The Detroit farm system might be characterized as blue-chip prospect Rick Porcello and a bunch of other guys, but that would be a little unfair.
Detroit’s brain trust has a history of finding talent where others have overlooked it, not to mention a knack for getting the most from the talent available. GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland aren’t shy about aggressively promoting young players who they think could contribute in Detroit, so while none of the Tigers’ top prospects appear to be close to The Show now, several could move up the ladder very quickly.
After the obvious No. 1 choice, ranking the rest of Detroit’s top prospects involve quite a lot of projection and speculation. Many of the organization’s most interesting players have spent little or no time in the high minors, and many have very little professional experience. As a quick perusal of this article will show, just how productive Detroit’s 2008 draft ultimately ends up being will determine the quality of the farm system for the next two years.
Some of the prospects reviewed here will undoubtedly break out in 2009, while others will fall by the wayside. A few will proudly wear the Detroit Tigers’ classic uniform for many years and most will be lucky if they get a strong cup of java in Motown. With those caveats, here are the consensus selections from the staff of Tigers Corner.
In just his first year of professional baseball, Rick Porcello had a deceptively good year for the Lakeland Flying Tigers. While his 8-6 record and 72 strikeouts in 125 innings doesn’t really turn heads, the jewel of Detroit’s organization also did a lot of things well. He kept the ball down and induced almost two-and-a-half groundouts for every fly out, he walked just 33 batters, and he gave up just seven home runs. He also won his last five decisions and, in his final 10 starts, he notched an impressive 2.25 ERA en route to winning the Florida State League Player of the Year Award.
An interesting comparison to Porcello is highly touted left-handed starter Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers’ first-round pick in 2006, Kershaw was touted as the best high school pitcher in the draft, just as Porcello was in 2007. Kershaw signed early enough to play in the Gulf Coast League after being drafted, but he didn’t skip the Midwest League like Porcello did in his first full season. Just two years after being drafted, Kershaw made his major league debut—two months after his 20th birthday. Kershaw finished the season with 100 strikeouts in 107.2 innings in the majors, a pretty impressive accomplishment given his lack of pro experience.
Porcello had a tough time pitching during the day. Whether it was the summer heat or the fact that hitters were better able to pick up his pitches, Porcello lost all three of his day games that he started and batters hit .315 against him versus .235 during night games. While the sample size was small, it’s something that bears watching.
Now 20, Porcello will most likely start the season with the Erie SeaWolves, but Tigers’ fans should get a good look at Porcello during spring training. There’s an outside chance that, if Porcello pitches well enough early on, that he could sneak into the rotation at some point during the season, like top prospect Andrew Miller did in 2007.
The Tigers’ first-round pick in the 2008 draft from the University of Arizona, Ryan Perry has a fastball that can touch 100 mph. It’s expected that Perry is on the fast track and that he was drafted specifically because he could help out the big-league club in the shortest amount of time. He’s currently being billed as the Tigers closer of the future but his big league debut had mixed results. The tall right-hander fanned 16 hitters over 13.2 innings in his time with the Gulf Coast League Tigers and Flying Tigers, but he walked seven and his .300 batting average against at Lakeland shows he might not be as ready for the big leagues as people think. Still, Perry should start the season with the Eastern League SeaWolves along with Porcello. If Perry dominates at Double A in the first half, there’s a good chance that he will see action with the Tigers later in 2009.
While Jeff Larish took a small step back last season, he still heads the list of Detroit’s position player prospects, mostly because he’s closest to contributing in the majors right now. Larish belted 21 home runs for the Mud Hens in 2008, but he also struck out 109 in 384 at-bats and his .341 on-base percentage was the lowest of his four-year minor league career. The lefty hitter followed that up with 34 more strikeouts in a slow 2008 stint with the Tigers. Still, Larish showed he might make an impact with an exceptional Arizona Fall League tour in which he drove in 29, scored 34, and posted a .958 OPS in 30 games. The Tigers are trying to find room for Larish by trying him out at both third base and in the outfield. While his left-handed bat will help him stick with the Tigers, odds are Larish’s playing time will be limited unless Detroit suffers an injury or decides to platoon Gary Sheffield at DH.
Ramirez finally showed some of the potential that the Tigers thought he had when they signed him out of the Dominican Republic back in 2003. After missing all of 2004 and most of 2006, Ramirez has now had two relatively injury-free seasons, and he belted a career high 19 homers and stole 26 bases for the Double A SeaWolves. His 536-to-130 career strikeout-to-walk ratio isn’t encouraging, nor is his minor league career .316 OBP, but Ramirez is the best of the crop of prospect outfielders in the Tigers’ system. Ramirez’s minor league numbers look a lot like Craig Monroe’s (who had 25-plus stolen base speed as a prospect). Originally picked as a third baseman, after two consecutive 20-plus error seasons, Ramirez has now been moved to the outfield, making his path to the majors with the Tigers more problematic. At 23, the right-handed hitter will probably start the season with the Triple A Mud Hens and he’ll presumably perform better than the three hits in 36 at-bats he had in a late-season tryout with Toledo last year.
In 2007, it looked like the Tigers got a steal when they drafted Casey Crosby in the fifth round. Projected to be a first-round draft pick out of high school, the 6-foot-5, left-handed pitching prospect slipped a long way because of signability issues. Unfortunately, Crosby’s development was derailed before his professional career even began. He had Tommy John surgery prior to the 2008 season, although he got a tiny amount of work with the Gulf Coast League Tigers before the season ended. Crosby, now 20, is on the prospect list purely because of his potential. Reports out of the Tigers’ fall instructional program had Crosby’s velocity in the mid-90s, so his first full season, which should start in West Michigan, definitely will be interesting.
Considered to be the Tigers’ shortstop of the future, Cale Iorg played his first full pro season in 2008 after spending two years in Portugal on a Mormon mission. While his numbers (.251/.329/.405) didn’t look spectacular, they aren’t that bad for a shortstop considering that he played the entire season in the hitter-hostile Florida State League. The right-handed hitting infielder should start the season with Erie in 2009, attempting to live up to the hype. If the 23-year-old Iorg can show that his potential can be translated into performance, then the Adam Everett era in Detroit should be a short one.
After three unspectacular minor league seasons, Wells leapt onto the prospect radar with a breakout season with the SeaWolves last year. The now 24-year-old outfielder struggled early in 2008 in 50 games with the Whitecaps but once he made the jump to Double A he turned it on. The right-handed batter belted a total of 27 homers and drove in 79 on the year, and he posted an impressive .965 OPS with Erie. Wells continued to rake when he played in the prestigious Arizona Fall League, compiling a 1.129 OPS in 78 at-bats and being named to the AFL All-Prospect Team. Still, with his age and with only one solid season under his belt, it’s best to be cautious. It’s unclear whether Wells will start the season at Erie or Toledo, but he bears watching to determine whether 2008 wasn’t a fluke.
The Tigers fifth-round pick in 2006, Sizemore took a step back in 2008. The shortstop/second base prospect played only 53 games for the Flying Tigers after breaking a bone in his wrist that put him out for the season. Sizemore did show a slight increase in power and his batting average was also up from his previous season with the Whitecaps, but his strikeout rate was also higher while his walk rate was lower. If the right-handed hitter can get back on track with the SeaWolves and remain healthy, he might end up on a fast track to Detroit. Now 24, Sizemore needs to have a breakout season.
Fien, the Tigers’ 20th-round pick in 2006, has a chance to stick with the big league club when camp breaks this spring. The right-hander reliever has been very consistent in each of his three seasons in Detroit’s minor league system, and he finished 2008 with 15 solid innings for the Mud Hens. He’s struck out 173 and walked just 34 in 164.2 minor league innings to go with a career 2.90 ERA. The only knock against him in 2008 was that he allowed seven homers in 60.2 innings between Erie and Toledo, with a ratio of almost two fly outs for every groundout. Now 25, Fien pitched well in the 2008 Arizona Fall League, earning its “Rising Star” honor while fanning 15 in 14.2 innings of work.
The Tigers’ fourth-round pick in the 2008 draft from Vanderbilt, Jacobson had an exceptional minor league debut with the West Michigan Whitecaps. The 6-foot-6 right-hander struck out 31 and walked just five in 29.2 innings and didn’t allow a single home run, with a strong finish where he struck out 18, walked two, and didn’t allow a run over 15 innings in his final 10 games. Jacobson is a year or more away but, with the Tigers’ current need for relief help and his mid-90s fastball, he will be on a fast track if he continues to pitch well. Expect him to start the season with the Advanced Class A Flying Tigers.
The son of Tigers’ assistant general manager Al Avila, Alex Avila was Detroit’s fifth-round pick in 2008 out of the University of Alabama. Avila wasn’t able to show the power he was billed to have in his time with the Whitecaps last year, as he hit just one home run, but his 41/27 strikeout-to-walk ratio was encouraging. The left handed swinger finished the season with a .305 batting average and a .383 OBP in 213 at-bats as he split time between catcher and designated hitter. There’s a good chance that Avila won’t be a catcher for too much longer, so this spring should be an indication as to the Tigers’ plans for Avila. At 22, Avila will either start the season at Lakeland or West Michigan in 2009, needing to show that his drafting wasn’t simply nepotism.
The Tigers 19th-round pick in 2006, Below has lived below the prospect hype the past two seasons despite having some success in the minors. Last year, the southpaw finished at 8-7 with a 4.46 ERA with the Flying Tigers, though he issued 70 walks in 133.1 innings. On the other hand, the 23-year-old struck out almost a batter per inning and now has 324 strikeouts in 322 career minor league innings. Below will most likely make the jump to Double A this year, where the Tigers will see whether they have a late-round sleeper in the making—or not.
The Tigers took left-handed pitcher Kyle Bloom from the Pirates in the 2008 Rule 5 draft in Las Vegas primarily to give Detroit some insurance in the event they are unable to pick up another lefty before spring training. Bloom’s minor league numbers last year weren’t spectacular—he fanned 93 and walked 55 in 109.2 innings—but he turned some heads in the Hawaiian winter league. In Hawaii, Bloom struck out 32 in 30 innings with a 1.50 ERA and an impressive .144 batting average against. Still, he was 25 years old (he’ll turn 26 in February), and he hasn’t pitched above Double A, so the chances of Bloom sticking with a club that’s trying to win a championship right now aren’t very good.
After an injury-filled 2007 season, Clevlen bounced back and posted an .854 OPS in 476 at-bats with the Mud Hens in 2008. Clevlen turned 25 in October, but it seems like he’s been around a long time because he’s had three short stints with the Tigers in the past three seasons. The righty hitter belted 22 home runs with 82 RBIs in 2008, though he whiffed 166 times. This was Clevlen’s best season since 2005 and, without a bona fide blue-chip prospect in the Detroit system, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Clevlen will find himself with the parent club for a fourth straight season. Still, he’s been unable to show the organization that he’s not just a Quad A player or a career minor leaguer.
Brandon Douglas
Detroit’s 11th-round pick out of the University of Northern Iowa, Douglas was a three-time all-Missouri Valley Conference shortstop in the three years he played for the Panthers. Douglas really bounced around in his first half-season as a professional, making four stops, starting in the GCL. Overall, Douglas hit .328 in 274 at-bats, including a short stint (19 at-bats) with the SeaWolves. He struck out just 25 times and stole 17 bases. Though he was drafted as a shortstop, the right-handed hitter could start getting some work at second base. The 23-year-old will probably start 2009 with Lakeland, but he could go north with Erie as well.
After the Dodgers released Figaro at the end of 2004, the Tigers picked up the then 20-year-old Dominican pitcher. Figaro played his first full minor league season in 2007, but he posted mediocre numbers with Oneonta and Lakeland. In 2008, he had a lot of success in the Midwest League, finishing with a 12-2 record and 2.05 ERA in 19 starts and making the leagues midseason and postseason All-Star teams. The young righty then went 0-5 with a 4.91 ERA after a promotion to Lakeland. Figaro will turn 25 in July. Expect him to start out at Lakeland, although the Tigers won’t know if Figaro is a legitimate prospect until he gets significant time in Double A.
A 6-foot-7, 240-pound pitcher, Green had a rough amateur career before Detroit made him a third-round pick in 2008. With the University of Kentucky, the imposing righty missed all of 2006 and most of 2007 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. His 2008 collegiate season didn’t go as planned, either, as he eventually lost his spot in the Kentucky rotation. He signed early enough to throw 17.2 innings in West Michigan, striking out 15 and walking five in a nice debut. Green should start the 2009 campaign either with the Whitecaps or with the Flying Tigers.
A supplemental first-round pick in the 2007 draft, Hamilton started the season 0-5 in six starts and two relief appearances with the Whitecaps before being sent down to the Gulf Coast League for some easier work. In West Michigan, he struck out 22 and walked 28 in 32.1 innings, but he turned that around with the GCL Tigers (38.2 innings, he struck out 42 and walked 13 en route to a 5-1 record). The step backward wasn’t a catastrophe for someone of Hamilton’s age (he turned 20 last Christmas day), but it means he will most likely start the season with the Whitecaps again in 2009.
Kibler turned some heads in his first full minor league season with the Whitecaps in 2008 after being selected in the 30th round in the 2007 draft out of Michigan State University. The left-hander led the Midwest League with 14 wins and his 1.75 ERA and 0.87 WHIP were tops among pitchers with at least 80 innings. He struck out 126 with 32 walks in 154.1 innings and did a good job of keeping the ball down. It’ll be interesting to see how the 22-year-old progresses since he essentially came out of nowhere. He’ll probably start the 2009 season with Lakeland.
The player-to-be-named in the trade that sent Mike Maroth to St. Louis in 2007, Lambert is a former first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2004. The now 26-year-old right-hander pitched well in his first full year at Triple A. He struck out 124 and walked just 48 in 149.1 innings, and his 3.50 ERA was the best of anyone on the Mud Hens that pitched at least 70 innings. Lambert probably should have gotten the nod to fill the rotation spot opened when Dontrelle Willis was sent down to the minors because, aside from wins, Lambert had better numbers than Eddie Bonine. Lambert did get a cuppa coffee in Motown at the end of the season, although the results were less than spectacular. Lambert has a low-to-mid 90s fastball, plus a curve, slider, and change-up, but he needs to keep the ball down and refine his off-speed pitch if he’s going to get big-league hitters out. His most probable role in Detroit in 2009 would be in relief, though he could compete for the fifth spot in the rotation. However, there are multiple guys jostling for that role—like Zach Miner, Nate Robertson, and Dontrelle Willis—so his chances of plugging into the rotation seem pretty slim unless most of those veterans implode. Unfortunately, that’s not impossible.
In Luis Marte’s second season in the Tigers’ organization, the righty-hander got off to a blazing start for the Flying Tigers. He struck out 41 in 41 innings and posted a phenomenal 1.98 ERA in seven starts. This earned him a promotion to Erie but, shortly afterward, he hurt his elbow and struggled with the SeaWolves. In 57 innings, he struck out 32 and walked 26. The Tigers gave him some additional work in the Arizona Fall League, where he struck out 22 and walked just six in 17.1 innings, though he also allowed 22 hits. Ticketed to begin in Erie this year, the short (5-foot-11), 22-year-old pitching prospect needs to show that he’s got the stuff to get out big-league hitters if he’s going to move upward.
The Tigers are giving Dusty Ryan another year to develop in the high minors after they traded for Gerald Laird and signed backup Matt Treanor. After a weak and injury-marred 2007, Ryan bounced back and put together a successful ’08 season that started in Erie. The solid defensive backstop posted an .816 OPS in 82 games for the SeaWolves, then followed with a .918 OPS for the Mud Hens near the end of their season. That earned the right-handed hitter a September cup of coffee where he hit .318 in 44 at-bats for the Tigers. While the Tigers clearly aren’t sold on Ryan’s ability because of his one good year, odds are that he’ll get the call if Laird or Treanor is injured.
A second-rounder from the 2008 draft out of the University of Mississippi, Satterwhite shuffled between the bullpen and the rotation in his college years. The Tigers picked him to help out as a reliever and, when he’s in a relief role, Satterwhite’s fastball can hit the high 90s. The 6-foot-4 right-hander signed early, pitching in three GCL games before moving up to Lakeland. In 18.1 innings, he struck out 22 but walked 12 with the Flying Tigers, where he’ll probably begin 2009 as he gets his professional feet wet and works on finding the strike zone.
Acquired in a trade for Jason Grilli to the Rockies in midseason 2008, the Tigers thought highly enough of Zach Simons after a solid season to add him to the 40-player winter roster. Simons spent most of the year with the Flying Tigers, where he struck out 61 in 53.1 innings. A big concern is control, as the right-hander actually issued more walks (30) than he allowed hits (29). In the Arizona Fall League, Simons was roughed up for three home runs and a 4.85 ERA in 13 innings. Simons will turn 24 in May, so he will probably start the season in Double A, where he’ll face stiffer competition and a more hitter-friendly ballpark.
Ryan Strieby put himself on Detroit’s prospect map with an excellent season in Advanced Class A Lakeland in 2008. The power-hitting sleeper belted 29 home runs and drove in 94; both marks led the Florida State League. Oddly, he racked up seven triples despite not having much speed, being caught in his only stolen base attempt and grounding into 16 double plays. Most of Strieby’s production came in the second half of 2008, when he belted 21 home runs and posted a 1.086 OPS in 50 games after the All-Star break. Strieby will get a chance to show that he’s not a flash in the pan with the Double A SeaWolves this year, but his biggest problem in breaking through is the fact that he’s a right-handed hitting first baseman/designated hitter and the Tigers already have plenty of those ahead of him.
The Tigers second-round pick in the 2007 draft, Worth saw his stock fall dramatically last year after struggling with the SeaWolves in his first professional season. The right-handed hitter managed to hit just .254 with an unimpressive .386 slugging percentage. He’s billed as a solid defensive shortstop but, at this point, it looks like Cale Iorg could vault over Worth on the system’s depth chart if Worth can’t turn things around in 2009. Worth will almost certainly start the season with Toledo despite his lackluster 2008, mostly because Iorg should make the jump to Erie. This is a make-or-break year for the 23-year-old infielder.
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March 12th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
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