Five Things We Liked From Last Week, April 18th

Welcome to “Five Things We Liked From Last Week”, a weekly list of… five things we liked from last week:

1. Casey Mize

What a difference a year makes.

Last season, former first overall pick Casey Mize was working his way back from multiple injuries, and basically two full years off. All things considered, it was a fairly successful season for Mize, in that he was able to stay healthy most of the year, and generally kept the Tigers in games.

The ’24-’25 offseason was the first offseason in several years that Mize was able to focus solely on pitching (and not rehab), and after a big spring training and excellent start to the season, that focus appears to be paying off.

To cherry-pick a few stats, in 2024, Mize ranked in the 17^th percentile for expected ERA, the 4^th percentile for expected batting average, the 21^st percentile for whiff rate, and the 8^th percentile for hard hit rate. In other words, not super great.

This season, Mize ranks in the 89^th percentile for expected ERA, the 93^rd percentile for expected batting average, the (nice) 69^th percentile for whiff rate, and the 74^th percentile for hard hit rate. In other words, pretty great.

Like the soon-to-be number of clichés used in this article so far, Mize’s season start total is only at 3, so we don’t want to put the cart before the horse. But Casey could be in for a big year in the D this season.

2. Will Vest

Speaking of clichés, did you know that you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone? The Seattle Mariners certainly do.

Back in the 2021 offseason, the Detroit Tigers neglected to protect reliever Will Vest from the Rule 5 draft, and the Mariners decided to take a chance on the young righty. However, after 35 less than inspiring innings, Seattle returned Vest to the Tigers, and I think they’d like to have that decision back.

Since the beginning of the 2023 season, 64 relievers have pitched at least 120 innings. Here are Will Vest’s ranks among those 64:

ERA: 19

FIP: 7

BB%: 15

HR/9: 7

GB%: 22

Watching a p*ssed off Will Vest stomp around the mound in last year’s postseason while mowing down opposing hitters brought me a Marie Kondo level of joy, and Vest has turned his game up another notch so far this season, with a 1.35 ERA, 37.5% strikeout rate, and .60 WHIP. Vest looks like he’ll take your lunch on the mound, and his Statcast page is as dark red as his disposition.

The Mariners’ misfortune was the Tigers’ fortune back in 2021, and sometimes, to use the final cliché of this column, it’s better to be lucky than it is to be good.

3. Jake Miller

Back on March 28^th’s “Five Things”, we discussed Jake Miller as a prospect we were looking forward to seeing this season. Miller was dominant in a bulk relief role last year, tossing just over 87 innings across three levels to the tune of a 1.85 ERA (and 2.50 FIP), a 30.4% strikeout rate, a 5% walk rate and just .52 home runs allowed per 9.

It’s possible that the Tigers used Jake in a relief role last season as a way to monitor his innings after an injury shortened 2023 season. That possibility looks more possible considering Miller has started his first two games of the ’25 season with Erie.

In those two starts, Jake ‘n Bake has been hot to go: 8 innings pitched, 8 strikeouts, and no runs allowed on just 4 hits and one walk.

Miller comes right at you by throwing a ton of strikes with a deceptive, crossfire delivery that makes the ball tough to pick up for both righty and lefty hitters. While his velocity may not wow you, over the past season plus, the results have.

Sometimes lefties with a good changeup can carve up the low minors, so this season will be a test for Jake Miller. So far, he’s been up to the task.

4. Bryce Rainer

“The Waiting.” “Right Here Waiting.” “I Don’t Want to Wait.” “Wait (The Whisper Song).”

You may be wondering what Tom Petty, Richard Marx, Paula Cole and the Ying Yang Twins have in common, and your guess is as good as mine. What is clear is that they, along with many other famous artists, felt that “waiting” was worth writing about.

Preheating the oven. Boiling water. Standing in line at the DMV. Waiting is tough. And although 2024 1^st round pick Bryce Rainer is still a teenager for three more months, he knows this reality all too well.

Rainer did not appear in a professional game after being drafted last season, so he had to wait (The Whisper Song) for 264 long days to make his much awaited professional debut. And in his first professional at bat, he got hit in the head.

Luckily for Rainer, the hit-by-pitch only kept him out for one week. Unluckily for Rainer, in his first game back, he got injured again and was out for 6 more days.

That’s why it was nice to see Bryce back in action yesterday, slotting in as the DH for the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Rainer ultimately went 0-2 with 2 walks, but the important thing was that he was in the game at all. Ironically (I think) Bryce did get pulled in the 9^th inning again, but one can only hope it was because he was slotted for four at bats only.

Rainer’s ceiling is off the charts, and is arguably as high as anyone’s in the entire Tigers’ organization. Here’s hoping he can stay on the field the rest of the year.

5. Brett Callahan

There have been many improvements in the Detroit Tigers’ organization over the past several years, and the TV broadcast is one of them. Jason Benetti is a national treasure, and the Tigers have done a great job finding a colorful cast of… color commentators to join him on the broadcasts. Andy Dirks is part of the rotation, and just like in his playing days, Dirks has quickly become a fan favorite.

While Dirks was never a star, he was an important figure for the 2012 Detroit Tigers team that reached the World Series. (I have forever blacked out on what happened once they got there.)  In the 2012 season, Andy slashed .322/.370/.487 for a 132 wRC+, and as a left handed hitting fourth outfielder, proved extremely valuable to the overall success of the team.

Dirks was also never a top prospect, and if you’re beginning to wonder what all this has to do with Brett Callahan, fear not.

Brett Callahan is currently the 20^th ranked prospect in the Tigers’ system according to TMLR, after a solid 2024 season between Low and High A that saw the former 13th round pick hit .272 with a .359 on base percentage and Cheech and Chong-esque .420 slugging percentage.

For an encore, Callahan is currently hitting .308/.333/.513 at High A West Michigan, and has been a key contributor to the club so far. Like Andy Dirks (see?), Callahan doesn’t have one standout tool; he is just solid at almost everything. Here’s what our own Rogelio Castillo noted in Callahan’s prospect writeup:

Callahan’s blend of contact skills, developing power, and defensive versatility make him an intriguing prospect in the Tigers’ system. Injuries slowed his 2024 season, but when healthy, he showed promising offensive tools and the ability to play multiple outfield positions. His athleticism and strong work ethic give him a shot to develop into a solid fourth outfielder or platoon bat at the major league level. If his power continues to trend upward, he could carve out a more regular role in the future.

Players like Brett Callahan and Andy Dirks tend to fly under the radar prospect-wise, but all good organizations have players like them who develop into solid major leaguers. Callahan is someone to keep an eye on in the next few years.