We’ve completed another week around the Detroit Tigers farm system, where several standout performances emerged, including a familiar name among Tigers fans. Additionally, two players earned accolades. Now, let’s start with Toledo.

Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens: 2-4 versus Iowa 20-18 IL West

Justyn-Henry Malloy rebounded from a challenging start to May with a strong performance against Indianapolis, going 9 for 22, hitting three home runs, and driving in six runs. His slash line stood at .409/.500/.864. What distinguished Malloy’s performance this week were his quality at-bats against some of the Chicago Cubs’ top pitchers. On Wednesday, the Toledo Mud Hens squared off against right-hander Ben Brown, a player the Cubs acquired from the David Robertson deal in August 2022. Brown allowed two hits and struck out 10. Both hits were credited to Malloy.

Justyn-Henry Malloy blasts a 2-run homer to left to put the Mud Hens up 2-0 in the first. It’s his 5th home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/9hAVZQu3ZT

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 11, 2023

Over the last few weeks, the power from Malloy has been emerging as he is currently posting a barrel rate of 8.9%. Corey Joyce, just up from Erie, also had a great week, going 5-for-12. Since he has been with the Mud Hens, he is 10-for-28 with a WRC+ of 190. Andre Lipcius has been struggling as of late, just 8-for-40 in the month of May (.200)

Corey Joyce’s strong weekend continues with a big RBI single in the 8th to put the Mud Hens up 3-2. pic.twitter.com/wenWriJveQ

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 14, 2023

Austin Bergner, on the pitching side of things, earned a mention on the Prospect Team of the Week. He posted an impressive return to Toledo, delivering four innings of no-hit ball and striking out eight

Austin Bergner was unhittable for the @MudHens — literally.

Four no-hit innings of relief with eight punchouts for the @tigers' No. 27 prospect: pic.twitter.com/yoEvX2w7MG

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 14, 2023

Next up for Toledo is Omaha as they continue their road trip.

Double-A Erie SeaWolves: 5-1 versus Richmond 17-16 EL Southwest

Trei Cruz continues to have a solid year. He hit his sixth home run of the season, which ranks him just behind Malloy in the Tigers system. Something that Cruz seems to be doing differently than last season is hit for more power. His ISO (Isolated Power) is over .200 in just over 100 plate appearances.

Another change so far I have noticed, it appears he is trying to pull the ball less and center up the ball more (21.4% at High-A, 16.7% Double-A in 2022) From what the data suggests, his strikeouts are up, and his walks are down(14% is still pretty good)  but based on his swinging strike rate (15.1% in 2023, 11% in 2022) he is being much more aggressive at the plate, and his power numbers are benefiting because of it.

First pitch Trei Cruz sees, he crushes it to right for his sixth home run of the season as he is now on a five game hitting streak. 1-0 @erie_seawolves pic.twitter.com/yeBcFP1z7L

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 12, 2023

Back to the rest of the team, the SeaWolves got quality pitching from the starting rotation, as all five starters pitched five innings in their starts. Keider Montero, in his first start of series, allowed one unearned run in five innings of work, scattering six hits and striking out eight. His slider command was good all day.  Both Brant Hurter and Wilmer Flores allowed just a run and Ty Madden threw a gem, allowing just two hits over five shutout innings of work, striking out six.

Grant Witherspoon and Ben Malgeri were the offensive leaders for the week as Witherspoon went 6-for-21 and four of the five hits Malgeri had this week were doubles. Next up for Erie is a road trip to Harrisburg to take on the Senators.

High-A West Michigan: 4-2 versus Lansing 20-13 ML East

Justice was served. No, really, it was as Justice Bigbie posted the best week among the minor leaguers, going 13-for-21 (.619/.680/1.095) with two home runs and driving in nine. Those numbers earned him the Midwest Player of the Week.  Bigbie, who was drafted in the 19th round in 2021, has seen a tremendous surge in power. He has five home runs in just under 100 plate appearances. He hit two in Lakeland before ending the season in West Michigan in 2022.  Similar to Cruz, he is also hitting the ball more in the air.

Congratulations to Justice Bigbie on being named the Midwest League Player of the Week!

The outfielder had not one, not two, but THREE 3-hit games, lifting his line to .370/.435/.667. pic.twitter.com/ALkXv9uCoI

— Detroit Tigers Player Development (@RoadtoDetroit) May 15, 2023

Justice Bigbie crushes a 2-run bomb to put the Whitecaps up 5-2 in the 8th. It’s his 5th home run of the year. @ThatDanHasty on the call. pic.twitter.com/dlQy4DlZx5

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 14, 2023

Jace Jung continues his strong play, going 8-for-22 on the week and making hard contact, even on his outs, as we witness live on Saturday. Eliezer Alfonzo, who saw a few starts at DH, also had a good week, going 7-for-21. Another interesting tidbit over the week was Izzac Pacheco, who hit a home run on Sunday. All four of his homers this season have come off Lugnuts pitching. Roberto Campos also had a good week at the plate, hitting .300/.348/.350 (6-f0r-20)

On the pitching side, a statline you may not see often. Left-hander Jack O’Loughlin pitched twice this week and in those 10 innings of work, he allowed 10 hits, 1 walk and struck out 11. The Whitecaps, who are a game out of first place in the Midwest League East, head to Midland to take on the Great Lakes Loons. West Michigan has the best run differential in the league at a +51.

Single-A Lakeland: 2-4 versus Bradenton 13-20 FSL West

The Flying Tigers starting rotation had a better week as Troy Melton struck out seven in 4.2 innings of work. Garrett Apker, making his first start of the season after eight games in the pen, struck out five in three innings of work, allowing just two hits. Sean Guenther, who the Tigers signed back in November after last pitching with the Marlins, started his rehab stint with a pair of one inning starts.

LHP Sean Guenther, (waiver wire pickup in Nov. 2022) who last pitched with the Marlins in 2021, started his rehab down in Lakeland this week. He opened Saturday's game as the starter, pitching in one inning of work.

1IP 1K pic.twitter.com/9XBR4Bw97x

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 14, 2023

The bats were rather quiet as Seth Stephenson went 6-for-20. The Flying Tigers start their six-game home stand with Fort Myers, starting on Tuesday.

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