Outfielders take center stage today as we continue our 2023 recap of the Detroit Tigers minor league system. There’s no position in the organization that better encapsulates the breadth of baseball skills. And while we don’t see a true five-tool talent in the bunch — at least not yet — we do see at least one strong representative for each individual tool.
We’ll begin in Toledo, but be sure to check out our other recaps here: catcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base.
Toledo
The Toledo Mud Hens had just three outfielders on their Opening Day roster. But by the end of the season 13 different players had spent at least 10 games playing in the grass. Maybe that’s simply a reminder that the Detroit Tigers love defensive versatility. Or it could be a sign that outfield is still a weak spot in the organization.
Parker Meadows it the headliner here. He shook off a slow start (.729 OPS through May) to post strong overall numbers in Toledo, and then gave Tigers fans a solid six-week look at his skills. Meadows is the closest thing to a five-tool talent in the organization, though his hit and game power tools are likely to remain below average. Still, his raw pop is certainly there, and his combination of solid plate discipline, plus defense, and near-elite speed give him a pretty high floor at the big-league level.
Justice Bigbie played only 15 games with the Mud Hens, but it was the culmination of an incredibly impressive season. Bigbie tortured opposing pitchers with consistent hard contact and a middle-away approach, posting a 161 wRC+ in 37 games with West Michigan, and then a 170 wRC+ in 63 games with Double-A Erie. He did see a dip in his power numbers and a rise in his strikeouts with Toledo. But that was in a small sample, and his underlying batted ball data was right in line with Meadows, Colt Keith, and Justyn-Henry Malloy. Bigbie is a steady defender, but to become an MLB regular he probably needs to hit more homers.
We discussed Malloy yesterday, but he did spend 40+ games roaming the outfield for the Mud Hens. It was iffy at times, with the occasional bad read or poor throw. But he appears to have the physical ability to handle an outfield corner. Wenceel Perez, Andre Lipcius, Ryan Kreidler, and Eddys Leonard also saw double-digit games in the grass, and all acquitted themselves well. Utility seems to be the main feature of each player’s game, but perhaps one or more of them will make the transition to full-time outfielder in 2024.
Erie
The SeaWolves didn’t go through quite as many outfielders as Toledo, but they still saw plenty of roster churn. So we turn to Ben Malgeri, who was one of the more well-rounded and reliable players in the system. Malgeri saw the plurality of playing time in center field for Erie, where he’s at least average with the glove. He also manged to post a 101 wRC+ thanks to a double-digit walk rate, 34 extra-base hits, and 15 steals. Contact issues may keep him from climbing much higher, but he was an integral part of Erie’s title run.
Trei Cruz is an infielder by trade, but he added outfield to his resume this year with 51 games in center for Erie. And he was terrific out there, which probably shouldn’t be a surprise given his family history. Cruz shows plus plate discipline, extra-base pop, and defensive versatility, and he came up big in the playoffs. But, like Malgeri, he’ll need to make more consistent contact in the future.
Brady Allen is also worth a mention here, though he saw just eight games with Erie. Allen came to the organization in May when the Marlins traded him to Detroit for Jonathan Davis. He instantly became a stabilizing force for the Whitecaps, batting in the middle of the order and playing excellent defense. He and Jace Jung posted almost identical offensive numbers with West Michigan, and he’ll be one to watch in 2024.
We should also mention Daniel Cabrera here. He played solid defense for 60+ games in Erie, but his offensive production just wasn’t there, and his future in the organization is cloudy.
West Michigan
Allen was the most productive outfielder for the Whitecaps, but Roberto Campos was probably the biggest name. And for two months Campos looked like a budding star. He was batting just .248 through May, but he also sported a 10% walk rate and a .180 ISO. Not bad for a 19-year-old. His average actually climbed to .264 for the rest of the season. But Midwest League pitchers seemingly stopped throwing him fastballs, and Campos saw both his walk rate and his power numbers cut in half.
We were initially impressed with his physical tools on defense, too. But bad reads and bad decisions started to pile up, and Campos’ defense reamins a work in progress. He’s still very young, and very talented, but the Roberto Campos breakout will have to wait for another year.
Seth Stephenson is the other notable outfielder in West Michigan, though again we’re dealing with a small sample size (14 G with the Whitecaps). He’s the fastest player in the system, with 70 steals in 85 tries between Lakeland and West Michigan. Stephenson also posted a .381 on-base percentage, thanks in part to being hit 30 times. And he’s a solid defender with one of the best arms in the system. He’s on the small side, and he’ll never produce much power, but if the Tigers can tease out a bit more pop they might have something in Stephenson.
Austin Murr has been a solid org soldier for 2+ seasons in West Michigan, but he doesn’t offer much offense. And Dom Johnson is probably the second fastest player in the organization, but he hit just .124 over 39 games.
Lakeland
The trickle-up effect means there’s not much to talk about in Lakeland. So let’s focus on Max Clark, whom you may have heard of. Detroit’s first-rounder in 2023 was excellent in 12 complex league games. But he struggled to make solid contact in his 11 games with the Flying Tigers. There’s zero cause for concern here, though. Clark remains a tooled-up athlete, and he’ll likely hit his way out of the Florida State League in a few months next year.
Brett Callahan, David Smith, and Cole Turney are other 2023 additions who saw time in Lakeland. But there’s not much to be learned about small samples from college players in Low-A.
We finish with a trio of international players. Jose De La Cruz made moderate improvements across the board in 2023. He walked more, struck out less, and hit for a higher average with more power. His raw pop (115.8 max EV) is among the best in the organization, but he’ll need to keep refining his game to reach the high minors.
Carlos Pelegrin also flashed some impressive tools in 2023, but he continues to be hampered by injuries. Pelegrin has played just 141 games over three seasons, and he turns 24 next June. And then there’s Manuel Sequera, who hit 19 home runs as a teenage infielder in 2022. But he transitioned to the outfield this year and saw a dramatic drop in his offensive production, batting just .207 with with 7 home runs in 58 games for the Flying Tigers.
Rookie Leagues
We haven’t seen these players yet, so we don’t have a lot to offer here. But, recent international signings Anibal Salas, Adrian Hoyte, Cristian Perez, and Willian Berti all had strong pro debuts in the Dominican Summer League. Salas, in particular, stands out. He posted a 149 wRC+ after hitting .281 with 5 home runs, 8 steals, and a 21.6% walk rate. But DSL numbers can be very misleading, so we’ll just have to wait until next year to see what kind of prospect Salas is.
Rogelio Castillo