MESA, Ariz. — Since signing with the Dodgers at 17 as an international free agent in 2021, Thayron Liranzo has gotten used to adapting to change. So when he received the news that he was joining organization mate Trey Sweeney in a trade to the Detroit Tigers for RHP Jack Flaherty in July, he took it in stride.
“Change is something normal for us as athletes,” Liranzo said through a translator. “We all experienced a change in teams. The one thing that did feel a little strange to me was having to get to meet everybody again and create that chemistry amongst all of us, but they took me in. (The players) took me under their wings, they treated me like a little brother, and it turned out great.”
Liranzo, 21, didn’t have to go too far after the trade. He spent the first 74 games of the 2024 season in the Midwest League with the Great Lakes Loons. His new assignment with Detroit was just a two-hour drive away at High-A West Michigan.
The 6-foot-2 switch-hitter wasted no time offensively with the Whitecaps. He hit .315/.470/.562 with a 1.032 OPS, 12 extra-base hits, and 20 RBI over 26 games.
Liranzo’s regular-season success convinced the Tigers to invite him to the Arizona Fall League, specifically to focus on his defense. While his offensive abilities had been solidified, the Tigers still weighed the investment into Liranzo behind the plate. This came through special instruction from the Tigers’ roving catching instructor, Brayan Peña.
“Working with (Peña) definitely doesn’t feel like work because there’s a different kind of connection between us,” Liranzo said. “There’s a different understanding within each other. There’s a mutual respect and a connection there, so it doesn’t feel like work because it’s fun. The way that he does things and learning from him, it does not feel like work.”
Under Peña’s instruction, Liranzo has been able to successfully target multiple aspects of his work behind the plate. And games in Arizona have let those lessons come to life.
“We’ve been working on my timing, and carrying the flow from the pitch to the glove,” Liranzo said. “That was something that (Peña) carried from the team that he played with to here, it’s been consistent from both sides. So, we are just making sure that that’s in place. That way, I’m in sync with the pitching. I’m in sync with the batter. And I’m in sync all around.”
In addition to the extra work behind the plate, the trip out west connected Liranzo to Class-A organization mate Josue Briceño. And not only did the two make a quick connection through their shared language, they also shared positions, with Briceño being a catcher who had recently made the move to first base.
“Josue is an awesome guy,” Liranzo said. “I would consider him someone that I can go parallel with professionally, with my mindset, everything. We’re right there with each other. It’s just an honor to get to be able to support my teammates. If it was somebody else, I would’ve been here to support them too because we’re in it together.”
Much like Briceño’s quest to establish his identity as a hitter, Liranzo, as a switch-hitter, has been able to partake in some fairly unique matchups.
“It’s a great opportunity to be able to face new pitchers,” Liranzo said. “I have not really faced a lot of lefty-on-lefty. When I did, it was really strange for me. Same thing, being able to work both sides of the plate has been a great opportunity. And everybody comes here with the best of their abilities. So, getting to face them on either side has been great.”
“(The players) definitely help each other in that, if they see something that I need to work on fundamentally or in general, they’ll share it and I’ll take it and I’ll put it into practice and vice versa,” Liranzo said. “If I see something that they could have some help in, I share it with them. We are from different organizations, but we play for the same team here, so we’re helping each other out.”
Joining Briceño as a Tigers’ representative in the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game, Liranzo leveraged his pitching exposure to leave a lasting impact.
With the American and National League teams tied at five, Liranzo drove a baseball 437 feet for a home run. It gave the American League what would ultimately be the game-winner. And it also earned him the Fall Stars MVP award.
Thayron Liranzo demolishes this baseball for a solo home run that puts the AL squad up 6-5 in the 9th inning of the Fall Stars game. pic.twitter.com/tBRAKCT8SM
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) November 10, 2024
Following the game, Liranzo couldn’t hide his smile, even if he had wanted to.
“It’s awesome to be here,” Liranzo said. “Anytime we’re given an opportunity as an athlete to represent our team, to be able to be here in an event like this, it’s an open door for us to be able to continue to do what we love in places that we love to do it. It’s just awesome to represent Detroit, to represent the Tigers as a Fall Star, and as a (Scottsdale) Scorpion in this league.”
Rogelio Castillo