The TMLR Top 25 Detroit Tigers prospects for 2023

The Detroit Tigers hired Scott Harris just a few months ago, and he has already made plenty of changes to the front office. We expect the player movement this offseason to be even more dramatic, and many of the prospects on the lists below may well be in another organization by the time the season begins.

But we have to start somewhere. There will be a prospect list on our site, and we intend for that to be a kind of living document that changes with time. We may do a preseason update, or a mid-season update, or we may simply move a single player up or down based on our live looks during the year.

We say this to make a point. Too often prospect rankings are treated as the final word on players, rather than a simple snapshot in time. These prospects will continue to hone their skills, and we promise to do our best to keep up with those changes.

This year we had each of the four main site contributors (Chris, Jerry, Martin, Rogelio) produce individual lists of the top 30 prospects in the Detroit Tigers system. We averaged all those rankings, made small alterations after some discussion, and came up with what we think is a solid list. But we encourage discussion and disagreement. Let us know what you think!

Now, let’s reveal the top 25. We’ve broken the list into smaller groups, which we’ll unveil in reverse order, for the drama. Enjoy!

Keider Montero is coming off two underwhelming seasons, but he has a big-league arm and he’s still learning the nuances of pitching. A severe lack of plate discipline will likely be the undoing of Manuel Sequera, but he’s still very young, he boasts impressive power, and he probably sticks on the left side of the infield. Elvis Alvarado is a converted outfielder who now comes out of the bullpen throwing a surprising number of strikes with a fastball that sits in the upper-90s. Brant Hurter is a big-bodied southpaw with an unorthodox delivery that makes his average stuff play up slightly. Jose De La Cruz has some of the best raw power in the organization, but pitch recognition issues may stall his career.

Elvis Alvarado out here throwing gas (97-100) and the @erie_seawolves fans are loving it. ⛽️⛽️⛽️ pic.twitter.com/KKODF0QbWe

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) September 25, 2022

Danny Serretti doesn’t flash tools that wow, but he’s a switch-hitter with a very mature approach at the plate, and he’s a solid defender who should stick somewhere in the infield. We can probably repeat that same blurb for Andre Lipcius, although he’s not a switch hitter and he’s had success at Triple-A. Dylan Smith owns a low-90s fastball, a pair of solid breaking balls, and a developing split-change, and he looks like a potential big-league starter. Gage Workman boasts impressive raw tools, but his swing-and-miss issues give him a very low floor. Roberto Campos has tons of raw power and his feel for the game took major strides in 2022, but he needs to adjust his swing to realize his full potential.

What a blast by Cuban RF prospect Roberto Campos with Dan Dickerson on the call.👀 pic.twitter.com/WLSpVHQ1uQ

— Rogelio Castillo (@rogcastbaseball) April 4, 2022

Reese Olson throws strikes and gets plenty of strikeouts, but his slight frame, effortful delivery, and issues with fastball command give him elevated reliever risk. Josh Crouch is a sum-of-his-parts player with the potential to be a solid big-league backup behind the plate. Peyton Graham has one of the highest ceilings in the Detroit Tigers system, with the potential for plus defense, power, and speed from the shortstop position, but he’s still fairly raw for a college player. Ryan Kreidler has established his floor as a plus big-league defender on the left side of the infield, and he still has enough offensive potential to develop into a second-division regular. Wenceel Perez rejuvenated his prospect status last year by altering his swing to produce significantly more power while still maintaining his solid plate discipline and plus speed.

Consistency is key, but it sure looks like Detroit’s 2nd-round pick Peyton Graham has the tools to stick at shortstop… pic.twitter.com/zMt4rfL403

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) July 23, 2022

Dillon Dingler’s progress has stalled a bit in Double-A, and he now looks more like a potential backup at the MLB level, but he still owns all the tools to develop into a starter. The Detroit Tigers selected Jace Jung with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft, but his below-average athleticism and lack of power production during his professional debut left us a bit underwhelmed. A new cutter and better strike throwing helped turn Joey Wentz from a probable reliever into a potential #4 starter, and his dominance in the Arizona Fall League suggests it was a real transformation. Parker Meadows had perhaps the most remarkable season in Detroit’s system, going from something of an afterthought as a prospect to a player who may man center field in Detroit as soon as 2023. Izaac Pacheco also made impressive progress last year, as the towering youngster now shows impressive pure hitting ability and surprisingly solid defense to go along with his plus-plus raw power.

Izaac Pacheco absolutely demolishes this baseball for a 2-run homer. It’s his 10th of the year, and his second in as many games at the High-A level. pic.twitter.com/goDSY4HHsl

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 6, 2022

Ty Madden is a high-probability back-end starter with plus arm strength and a solid arsenal of pitches that could push him to mid-rotation status with further refinement. Cristian Santana showcased a precocious feel for the strike zone and impressive raw power for his age, and there’s a good chance he develops into a solid big-league regular at second base. In 2022 Wilmer Flores went from an interesting story to a legitimate top-100 prospect thanks to a dominating fastball and two above-average breaking balls. Jackson Jobe wasn’t the pitching savant Detroit Tigers fans were promised, but he still showed off worlds of promise last year, with three potential plus pitches and the aptitude to make adjustments when needed. Colt Keith is a gifted hitter with a knack for making consistent hard contact, plus raw power, and the plate discipline to maximize both tools.

Jackson Jobe eats Pete Crow-Armstrong’s lunch. pic.twitter.com/ujrX8eCjA2

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 27, 2022

Be on the lookout for individual scouting reports coming soon!