Takeaways from the Detroit Tigers end-of-season press conference
On Monday morning Detroit Tigers President Scott Harris and Manager A.J. Hinch addressed the media. The press conference served as a coda to Detroit’s 2024 season, with plenty of discussion about the team’s impressive run to the playoffs. But talk quickly turned to the future, and how the organization can replicate this success.
With that in mind, we are going to look at today’s comments with an eye toward next year. Prospects were a huge part of the team’s success in 2024. Is that repeatable for 2025? And can the the young Tigers continue to grow and improve?
Both Harris and Hinch discussed the adjustments that players like Parker Meadows and Colt Keith made throughout the season. That was also a theme through their time in the minors, particularly whenever they moved up a level.
“A bunch of these young players can get a lot better,” Harris said. “They’re just starting to get comfortable at this level.”
A.J. Hinch put a lot of emphasis on players making adjustments.
“Think back to when Parker Meadows was at his lowest in April, and the adjustments he had to go make in Toledo to come back,” Hinch said. “And then make those adjustments apply in the big leagues. We wouldn’t have gotten as far as we did without those adjustments.”
“Go back to Colt Keith and the things he was going through at the beginning of the season, with the weight of the world on him, Hinch said. “Only to become one of the more productive 2nd baseman for a long stretch of the season. Those were real adjustments he was making at the highest level.”
Harris added, “He (Meadows) got punched in the mouth early in the season, and he responded, becoming one of the better players in baseball, and one of the main reasons why we played well down the stretch. A bunch of these young players that showed up in August haven’t even got to the second half yet.”
Harris: There are too many young players on this roster that can and must improve this off-season
So how the Detroit Tigers get better in 2025? Scott Harris mentioned continued growth with the team’s young players, as well as some tough roster decisions. He spoke about some difficult choices he’ll have to make regarding the 40-man roster prior to the Rule 5 draft, which he is going to address closer to the GM meetings. Players like Gage Workman, Joseph Montalvo, Yosber Sanchez, and Gabriel Reyes, among others, are eligible to be selected by another team if they aren’t added to Detroit’s 40-man roster.
Harris said he is willing to either spend money or trade prospects in pursuit of players who address their need. “We’ve done a lot of work to restock our farm system and should have the prospects to be able to make a trade like that.” Harris said.
There was definite growth in Low-A Lakeland and High-A West Michigan in 2024, with strong seasons from players like Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle, Jaden Hamm, and Rayner Castillo. But outside of Hao-Yu Lee in Double-A Erie, the upper levels lacked another bat to promote in 2024. Graduating prospects is great, but you always want to have a next wave ready. Clark, McGonigle and Josue Briceno, who is off to a hot start in the Arizona Fall League, represent that next wave. And the upper levels will be the next test.
There are also needs at the MLB level that perhaps the minor leagues can’t solve in 2025. The Tigers need a right-handed hitter with power, regardless of the position. They need another alternative at first base, should Spencer Torkelson struggle again. And it wouldn’t hurt to have another catcher who could contribute in a pinch.
But the steps the Detroit Tigers took in 2024 point to future success. The organization led all of minor-league baseball in winning percentage. Four affiliates made the playoffs, and two won championships. The Toledo Mud Hens were the only team in the organization to finish with a sub-.500 record. But that was mostly because the Detroit Tigers used 19 different rookies to crash the postseason party.
There’s still plenty of room to build. But right now the foundation looks very strong.
Chris Brown