Welcome to our first Detroit Tigers mailbag of the season. We asked for questions and readers came through with some interesting topics. Chris and Rogelio each take a stab at answering the questions below. And as always, feel free to send us an email with a question, or pop by our various live streams to ask us in real time.
As the Tigers farm system has improved, it has seemingly yielded as many surprises as it has projected prospect breakthroughs.
Which players would you consider to possibly be this year’s surprising emerging talent?
— Steve Butts (@SteveB5477) February 10, 2025
Chris’s answer:
We put out a list of 46 prospects, and then added 15 more on our Sleepers and Favorites piece, so it’s kind of hard to come up with names we haven’t already discussed. But every year there has been a player or two who seemingly come from nowhere to make an impact. So let’s go a little off the board here. My picks are outfielder Jesus Pinto, and right-handed pitcher R.J. Sales.
Pinto doesn’t turn 18 until the end of March and has only one season of pro baseball under his belt. But there are some indications he might be one of the next international signings to pop. His $900K bonus was one of the largest the Tigers handed out in the 2024 class, and then he went out and put up solid numbers in the DSL. Pinto hit .275/.403/.438 in 53 games, with 17 XBH (12 2B, 3B, 4HR) and 16 steals. He also apparently has solid tools on defense. It’s always tough to make the transition from the DSL to the domestic ball, but if he repeats his performance stateside he might land on some prospect lists.
RJ Sales was Detroit’s 10th rounder last year out of UNC Wilmington, and he reminds me a little bit of Jaden Hamm. He’s not the biggest kid, but he has a lively low-90s fastball and sharp 12-6 curve that can be pretty nasty at times. Like Hamm, his college numbers were solid but unspectacular, and I can see him posting impressive numbers in the low minors just by tweaking his usage and location a bit. He’ll probably need to develop some horizontal offerings to continue starting at higher levels. But even if he doesn’t he might make for an interesting reliever.
Rogelio’s answer:
As much as we have our various lists, one name that we haven’t talked about too much who was very consistent last season was RJ Petit. The 6’8″ 300 RHP was very consistent last season in Erie, posting a K per 9 of 11.66 and holding hitters to a .198 batting average. He throws a fastball, slider, and a change. The reason he stands out is k per 9 from 2023 jumped from a 8.89 to that of 11.66 and as Baseball America reported, he had a jump in velocity with his fastball. Another stat is that rather impressive, he allowed just two home runs over 58.2 innings of work.
One arm that I am hoping to hear more about is Andrew Dunford, who was hitting 95 MPH in Complex Ball in 2023 but hit the IL last season, along with an update about Freddy Pacheco, who seems to be more of a myth at this point but nevertheless, I am interested in seeing if the Tigers will have these arms with upside out at some point.
1). When do we move Tork?
2). How do we use Mize this year?
3). Who is the first rookie to get called up other than Jobe?— Deadly Ninja Bees (@deadly_bees) February 10, 2025
Chris’s answer:
1) I think Spencer Torkelson has through the 2025 season to prove he can be a part of the future. He’ll be out of options in 2026 and it’s hard to picture him staying on the team if he has another year like 2024.
2) I figured Mize might transition into a relief role, but the signings of Kahnle and Brebbia mean there aren’t many open spots in the bullpen. I think he probably ends up as the 4th or 5th starter to begin the season.
3) I’ll stick strictly with players who haven’t made their MLB debut yet and go with reliever Chase Lee. He’s a sidearmer with a funky delivery and he’d give the Tigers a look no one else offers.
Rogelio’s answer:
- I agree with Chris, unless there’s a team like the Pirates who may have interest him or a team gives you “cant refuse” trade offer, then he has to be a part of the future, at least for 2025. They need all the right-handed power they can get. But his leash will be short.
- The Tigers need some swing and miss from the bullpen. Mize has a nice mix and could be a real asset in high-leverage situations. The plan should be to plug him into a bullpen role—ideally as a long reliever or even a spot starter when the rotation requires an extra day off. This approach maximizes his strengths in short bursts while keeping his workload in check. That being said, he has really stand out to be out guys like Keider Montero, Matea, or Brant Hurter. I think he could start the season at Toledo, however, because camp is so competitive.
- Hard to argue what Chris said about Chase Lee, but I am going to chose a different, Lee, Hao-Yu. If he starts hitting the cover off the ball in Toledo and the third base situation is still a mess by the end of May, could see Lee getting a chance.
Do you think the Tigers keep Hamm as a starter or does he go the bullpen route?
Does Dylan Smith still have a future with the team?
Is Cristian Santana done?
— Rudy T. Dog (@SuperflyJKR) February 10, 2025
Chris’s answer:
There are four things I look at when trying to project the future role of a pitcher: control, delivery, depth of arsenal, and velocity. Jaden Hamm throws a lot of strikes, and he has four distinct pitches, though I do think his slider and changeup need to improve a bit. His delivery is very unusual, but it does feel more like the operation of a reliever than a starter. And his velocity is kind of pedestrian, though it might improve in shorter stints. So I’m kind of 50-50 on his future role. But I’m also a strong believer in letting pitchers start until they prove they can’t, and I think Hamm will probably do that until at least Triple-A.
It’s tough to say if Dylan Smith has a future in the org or not. I still think he has a good arm, but for the last two years he’s been injured and ineffective, with very little time above High-A. The odds are probably stacked against him now, but he might benefit from a permanent move to the bullpen.
Unfortunately, I do think Cristian Santana is done. I don’t necessarily think he’ll get cut, but he’s now a career .176 hitter over 230+ low-A games. He walks a lot, and he shows power when he connects, but he just can’t hit. He’s also a poor, gaffe-prone defender who probably can’t play anywhere other than second base. It would probably take some kind of miraculous swing change for him to stick in pro ball much longer.
Rogelio’s answer:
Jaden Hamm’s strong control and varied pitch arsenal make him a promising starter candidate. His unusual delivery and current speed lean toward a reliever profile, as Chris said, and that is true but boosting his velocity would improve his effectiveness over longer outings. Essentially, with improved velocity, he could excel as a starter, and it makes sense to let him start until he proves otherwise.
I agree with Chris’s assessment. Dylan Smith has a strong arm, but his injury history and limited time above High-A are major concerns. His time in Erie was brief and the numbers were not too good. Given these factors, it’s challenging to see him progressing as a starter. A permanent move to the bullpen might be the best way to manage his workload and potentially allow him to be more effective while minimizing the risk of further injury.
Even if Santana moves to the outfield, unless he changes his swing mechanics, I think the Tigers may have lost all patience with him. I don’t see him sticking around.
Hey guys, who do you think will be the first position player to earn a promotion from Toledo to Detroit in 2025, barring unforeseen injury call-ups?
Also wondering what playing time split you think will play out for the current 3B candidates (ex: Vierling 70%, Jung 20%, Ibanez 10%).
Thanks
— oldbk.bsky.social (@oldbk.bsky.social) February 16, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Chris’s answer:
I expect the Toledo roster to have a lot of MLB talent and experience on it, but not necessarily many prospects who could make their MLB debuts. I can really only think of a handful of possibilities. And three of those (Justice Bigbie, Eddys Leonard, and Andrew Navigato) would likely only come up after a rash of injuries.
The only Mud Hens position prospect I can see forcing his way up is Hao-Yu Lee. He’s a good player who may be able to handle third base, and he’s a right-handed bat who has hit .343/.402/.535 against left-handed pitchers the last two seasons, with a 9.8% walk rate and a 22% strikeout rate. Lee might come up because he has a chance to be exactly what the team needs.
Rogelio’s answer:
Hard to argue with what Chris said on both fronts. The outfield in Erie and Toledo this season doesn’t hold an immediate threat to anyone who could come up to the big league roster, sans a big injury and a guy like Leonard and Bigbie are the closest to get a call-up with Max Clark at least another year away.
Joe Rampe 
Rogelio Castillo 
Jerry McKennan