Under-The-Radar Detroit Tigers Prospects

Before I begin, I want to say how excited I am to get started here writing a few analytical focused articles. Growing up outside of Detroit, I attended a ton of Tigers & Mud Hens games, including some very memorable 2009-2014 games, and I remember being just 9 years old during their 2012 run to the world series. Since then, I’ve done a lot of work in the football space with personnel scouting, analytics, and I’ve earned my masters in Data Analytics. I’m stoked to bring some analytical focused articles towards the space, and as a massive fan of prospects a big focus will be there as well. Last thing before I break this down, my personal top 15 Tigers Prospects are below:

1. OF Max Clark
2. SS Bryce Rainer
3. C Josue Briceno
4. RHP Cam Flukey
5. SS Jordan Yost
6. OF Jesus Pinto
7. LHP Andrew Sears
8. 1B/OF Will Adams
9. OF Brett Callahan
10. LHP Ben Jacobs
11. OF Cris Rodriguez
12. C/DH/1B Thayron Liranzo
13. RHP Kelvis Salcedo
14. C Michael Oliveto
15. RHP Malachi Witherspoon

Just behind them are 2B Max Anderson, RHP Jhonan Coba, SS Angel De Los Santos, RHP Charlie Christensen, INF Eduardo Tusen, C Manuel Bolivar, SS Tyson LeBlanc, and others. I am personally a pretty big fan of the Tigers farm system, there’s some weaker depth at the AAA and AA levels largely due to the promotions of Max Clark & Kevin McGonigle, however Detroit does have a few notable prospects at these levels as well. I don’t fully remember a time that the Tigers DSL, FCL, and A leagues held this much talent especially with international prospects, which at the moment it feels Detroit has made massive strides towards overhauling. The Tigers farm is ranked anywhere from top 10 to bottom 10 depending what platform you look at, though most platforms also leave out some of the notable prospects that deserve attention to be placed within the top 10-15 of boards.

Honorable Mentions:

SS John Peck & OF Brett Callahan both 2023 draft picks have broke out this season, and they both have shown good raw power, plus defense, and have some struggles with their ability to limit the chase and strikeouts. Thayron Liranzo has his doubts, and with good reason given a .229/.369/.422/.791 line this year & a .659 OPS last year in AA, that said, Liranzo has made strides in zone contact rates though still below average, has natural raw power, and Liranzo has a nice compact swing. He’s just 23, and after dealing with a ton of personal matters in 2026, he’s bounced back well this year. Liranzo understands the zone (17% BB rate in 2026), it’s not hard to see a world where he’s a contributing 4 outcome hitter in the MLB. SS Woody Hadeen is someone to keep track of, he’s got a good feel for the zone, elite defense, but he lacks power and is still in A+ at 24. SS Sterling Brazil should go stateside in 2026, he pulls the ball a lot, has decent raw power (.137 ISO), commands the zone exceptionally well with a 16% BB rate and 22% K rate, a switch hitting SS Bazil is someone to watch in the FCL.

A few other names in the mix I’m a fan of include C Manuel Bolivar who slashed .333/.446/.535 with a .982 OPS, 6 2B, 4 HR, and 17 BB to 34 K across 32 DSL games this year. The 6’2/210 pound catcher showed good raw power numbers, but he still hits the ball on the ground a lot, and will need to cut down on the chase/whiff rates. He’s a 17 year old catcher, but I’d expect to see Bolivar stateside next year, and catchers take a while to develop but the defense/raw power are intriguing immediate profiles. RHP Alex Padilla has really intriguing whiff, K, and chase rates with strong stuff at the DSL level but he also walked 11 in 12 innings. Cash Kuiper, a 2025 12th rounder has intriguing stuff, but he’ll need to desperately improve the early command and I’d also like to see his stuff develop more as well. He’s allowed a 6.36 ERA (5.65 FIP) across 46 2/3 IP while striking out 41 and walking 19 and allowing a .871 OPS. Jude Warwick is just 20 years old and he’s seen the power profile drastically improve this season, there’s still swing and miss concerns but he’s lightning fast, puts the bat to ball, and he may be someone to develop with time. RHP Aleiman Cruz is someone fun to watch, the 20 year old had a 26% K rate, 39% chase rate, and 9.5% BB Rate this season in the FCL. He added a 2.06 ERA (4.51 FIP) in 39 1/3 innings and he has a few concerns with his hard hit rates and a very low ground ball rate but there’s natural upside with his stuff and command.

OF Jesus Pinto, A+

• Pinto won’t turn 20 till next year, and he’s made his strides quickly. After a 2025 where he hit .231 with a .632 OPS across Lakeland and the FCL, Pinto has turned around a .257/.336/.378/.715 season this year and while the numbers don’t pop off the charts, he’s arguably the Tigers best OF prospect outside of Max Clark. Pinto’s biggest knock is his high ground ball rates, and he has nice raw power numbers, a good understanding of the zone, and Pinto doesn’t swing and miss in the zone often. Pinto has posted just a 21% K rate, and a 23% whiff rate this season. Pinto has possibly the strongest arm in the organization as well, and he should be on pace to start next season in Erie. Pinto’s biggest goal will be elevating the ball more often and with such will come more extra base hits.

OF Anibal Salas, A

• Salas will turn 21 in September and the switch hitting 5’11, 185 OF has risen this year. He’s spent the entire season with the Flying Tigers posting a .231/.351/.391/.742 line with 12 doubles, 6 home runs, and 4 triples across 70 games. Salas has seen his OPS rise each season since coming stateside from a .655 mark in 2024 (.916 & 1.026 OPS in DSL for 2023). Salas’ 28% K rate does scare me a little, but he’s making good contact in the zone, and he’s also posting an xAVG of .243 and an expected slugging of .390 so the raw power is on the same page. Salas currently has a max exit velo of 111.2 mph (90th percentile) and he’s also 85th percentile or higher in 90th percentile EV and has a 9% barrel rate. Salas commands the zone well, with limited chase and whiff, he largely has struggled to ID sequence. Salas has a nice compact swing, he’s relatively quick, but does a good job turning his hands and using his raw power. Salas does a great job hitting velocity with a .519 slugging vs fastballs & .530 vs sinkers plus a sub 19% whiff rate on both with his issues largely being changeups/siders at a 36% whiff rate. Salas has the potential to be a riser, and the raw numbers are pretty intriguing along with his swing, bat to ball skills, and zone command.

C Edian Espinal, A+

• When I was writing this Epsinal was promoted from Lakeland to West Michigan, and then he immediately walked & hit a first AB single so I’d say the transition went well. The former UCF infielder moved to catcher crushed A ball with a .311/.436/.467/.902 line along with 6 doubles, 4 triples, 7 home runs, 47 BB, and just 40 strikeouts. Espinal was always intriguing, and had sneaky power at just 5’7/205 pounds, with some good summer league numbers back in 2024 where he hit .350 with a 1.052 OPS, 20 BB, and 11 strikeouts in 24 games. Espinal had his struggles early on with spiking K rates and low BB rates but he settled in well and has seen his BB rate sit between 11 and 29% across his final 25 games at Lakeland. Espinal loves to pull the ball, and the 21 year old switch hitter also ranked 85th percentile or higher in xAVG (.290), xSLG (.390), exit velocity, max exit velocity (109 mph), hard hit rate, K rate (15.2%), BB Rate (16.8%), chase rate, whiff rate, and most importantly zone contact rate. Espinal does struggle at times vs the changeup, and teams started to throw the change more towards the end of the year but he did a good job adjusting and laying off the ball. Additionally, he’s adjusted extremely well to hitting velocity in the minors, along with breaking balls. Espinal doesn’t have an elite frame, but his raw power is intriguing, and despite being new to the catching position Epsinal has shown good movement skills and a good arm behind the plate. The raw power will carry him, and if so, there’s a good chance Espinal will rise into the top 100 prospect conversations, pretty good for a 10th rounder.

SS Jordan Yost, A

• Not often does a first rounder get labeled as a sleeper prospect, but I feel that Yost is often overlooked among Tigers prospects ranking sometimes out of the top 10. Yost is hitting .255 with a .340 slugging percentage but an exceptional .401 OBP in 58 games at Lakeland. He’s swiped 13 bags, walked 43 times to 34 strikeouts, and has added 11 doubles & 3 triples largely with his legs. Yost was never going to be someone with exceptional power, and he does have the frame to add more at 6’0/170, but his natural speed and contact skills are the biggest factors that make him intriguing. Yost has a 13% K rate, 95th percentile for A ball, with 85th or higher marks in bat speed, sprint speed, and whiff rate (19%). Yost doesn’t chase, and he’s also walked at a higher clip and is starting to push towards a promotion to West Michigan. His power has been low, with poor exit velocities, but Yost has a quick compact swing from the left side that naturally allows him to pull the ball. I’d like to see him elevate the ball more often, which could happen with more muscle as well. He’s done a great job hitting velocity, breaking balls, and his only struggle has been vs the changeup though he’s seen his whiff rate drop 4% in the last 2 weeks. Yost has played extremely good defense, has a strong arm, and he’s shown elite range as well. The power will naturally come with Yost as he adds to his frame, and he’ll likely only be a 8-12 HR player at the MLB level but his natural speed, glove, and understanding of the zone could make him a 2.5+ WAR player down the line.

2B/SS Eduardo Tusen, DSL

• The Tigers IFA talks largely surround De Los Santos, Cris Rodriguez, Jesus Pinto, and others but Tusen deserves some talk. The 17 year old won’t turn 18 till next April, and he’s coming off his first professional season in the DSL with a .349/.385/.584 line with a .969 OPS, 14 doubles, three triples, 5 HR, 29 RB, 4 stolen bases, and a 19.2% K rate. Tusen’s BB rate was just 6% which is a massive concern but like other Tigers prospects at the DSL/FCL/A level the Tigers care less over their plate discipline, which is rarely a top trait for younger prospects, and more on the raw intangibles. Tusen’s ISO, Exit Velo, and hard hit rates all ranked in the 90th percentile, with his barrel rate ranking 92nd percentile. Additionally, he had a 85% zone contact rate which was among the top of the DSL, and the highest for 17 year olds. He’s a quick moving second baseman with great rang and like others in this list his arm is above average for the position with a chance to be a future third baseman. He pulls the ball well, and often, and one thing to improve will be his ground ball rate. Detroit has not had a ton of talent in their IFA ranks in the previous years, though 2026 seems to be the turning of that corner.

2B Angel De Los Santos, A

• De Los Santos is someone to know, he hit .302/.373/.475 with an .847 OPS, 7 doubles, 3 triples, and 6 home runs across 51 games at the FCL level before being promoted to Lakeland. The 18 year old also logged a 17% K rate but his 8% BB rate was a bit concerning. However, De Los Santos showed a ton of raw power ranking 85th percentile or higher in ISO, exit velocity, pull rate, and a 48% hard hit rate. De Los Santos has a smooth right handed swing, he’s shown incredible range at second base with plus arm talent for the position. De Los Santos swings often, but he does make good contact as well with an 84% zone contact rate (97th percentile among teenagers in FCL/A ball). De Los Santos has plus plus speed, is a capable base runner, and could likely play a bit of SS with his range but is an above average athlete at 2B. De Los Santos has quickly moved the ranks to Lakeland and if he stays healthy could find himself ending 2027 in AA.

RHP Owen Hall, A

• Hall’s numbers aren’t great with a 7 ERA, that said the stuff has been impressive and he’s still young. Hall won’t turn 21 till November, and he’s barely pitched due to injuries. Hall has generated a 36% whiff rate, just a 69% contact rate, and a 23% K Rate this season. His walk rate has been high, and Hall has a tendency to lose batters late in counts, with massive command concerns. The stuff is devastating, and his fastball is among the best in the system, but till he can do better at locating early and late into counts it’ll be difficult for his stuff to take him far. Detroit has seen late breakouts of pitchers, and at 21 there’s no writing off Hall, with the potential for him to develop down the stretch due to his pure stuff and with better command will come better results.

RHP Charlie Christensen, A+

• Christensen has seen his name thrown around by prospect scouts, and for good reason. The Tigers 15th rounder in 2025 has posted a 2.52 ERA, 73 strikeouts, 16 BB, a 0.89 WHIP, and 2-1 record through 50 innings (15 games, 10 starts) across both Lakeland and West Michigan. Christensen has seen some dips with the promotion, with his FIP sitting at a 5.92 (2.45 ERA) largely to a risen BB rate of 15% compared to just 5.4% in Lakeland. Christensen has a weird near sidearm release, and his stuff has really intriguing movement patterns. Christensen relies on the sinker often, with a 40% clip this season but he’s also throwing a fun slider that has a 83 average velo and 2400 average RPM. HIs changeup has seen developments, as has his cutter which the Tigers emphasized this season. Christensen has to do better throwing first pitch strikes, but he’s still missing bats, forcing hitters to chase, and his arm slot makes it easy for him to hide the ball with long extension at 6’4. He’s a likely reliever, but his true swing and miss capabilities are fascinating. Command is a hard struggle for minor league pitchers, and it’s affected others on this list, but pure stuff will carry pitchers and the Tigers have done better at getting pitchers to command the zone.

RHP Cale Wetwiska, A

• Wetwiska has tossed 25 1/3 innings across mainly A ball this season. He’s logged 27 strikeouts (30%), a 7.2% BB rate, and a 3.09 ERA with a 4.12 FIP. Wetwiska commands the zone well, with a 55% zone strike rate, and he does a good job generating strikeouts with his plus stuff that features a 94-97 fastball with 2400 RPMs, 91-93 sinker, and a slider that sits with 2300 RPM and average of 86 mph. He mixes these as well with a cutter that could be his best pitch at 89 with a 2200 average RPM. Wetwiska generates a ton of movement on his pitches, has a high arm angle that hides the ball, and he’s done a good job limiting the ball in the air. That said, Wetwiska has to get better at pitching to the edges, and he far too often will hang a slider or cutter in the middle of the zone where he’s generated a 9% barrel rate and 48% hard hit rate. Wetwiska’s pure stuff is good enough to project as a possible backend reliever, but like many young pitchers he’ll need to improve the command. He won’t turn 22 till next April, and likely will see a promotion to West Michigan near the end of the season.

RHP Malachi Witherspoon, A

• Witherspoon has largely seemed to be written off this season, the Tigers 2nd rounder in 2025 turns 22 in August and he’s turned in a 2026 season at Lakeland featuring a 5.89 ERA, 1.4 WHIP, 22 walks (7.2%), and 74 strikeouts (28%). Witherspoon also has a 4.24 FIP, and an xERA of 4.21 which largely indicates he’s been a better pitcher than raw number (never look at ERA for prospects). Witherspoon is allowing a .806 OPS but just a .140 ISO (isolated power), and he’s also allowing a .382 BABIP which indicates a blend of poor defense, unlucky hits, and good pitching. Witherspoon has done an incredible job improving his command, which was the largest concern coming out of Oklahoma having a 51% zone strike rate and a 64% overall strike rate. Both can see improvement, but they are drastically better than his numbers in his final season at Oklahoma. Witherspoon’s started to mix in more pitches, limiting his use of the sinker that has been hit hard, and seeing an improve cutter that sits 88 with 2700 RPM and -4.1 inches of horizontal movement plus a 85 slider with 2700 RPM and -5.8 inches of horizontal movement. Witherspoon’s fastball has also developed sitting 95-97 with 12 inches of vertical run. Most importantly, his cutter has generated a 60% whiff rate this season at a 17% usage, and looks to be his best pitch especially if he can develop the sinker and fastball more. The stuff has never been an issue for Witherspoon, improving his command has been the key and Detroit has done a good job early on.

RHP Lucas Elissalt, A+

• Elissalt was the Tigers 13th rounder in 2024 and he’s looking to be a nice surprise. Elissalt has pitched to a tune of a 3.86 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 81 strikeouts (29%) and 29 walks (9.7%) in 70 innings this season after ending 2025 with a 2.51 ERA in 89 innings and 100 strikeouts across Lakeland/West Michigan. Elissalt just turned 22, and he’s a big pitcher at 6’4/190 with not overly devastating stuff. He’s a five pitch pitcher, and likely will be destined for the bullpen or a 4/5 starter. Elissalt gets good break and whiff on his breaking balls and supplements them well with a cutter/fastball combo. He does best in the pure command ability, with Elissalt having a 66% strike rate, and limiting hard contact often. Elissalt does well mixing his pitches, tunnels exceptionally well, and he’s a smart pitcher. The stuff isn’t overly impressive, and likely could limit him from ever being a late inning reliever, but he’s limiting hard contact, doesn’t issue walks, and commands the zone exceptionally well especially on first strikes. He’s someone incredibly intriguing in the organization from a pitching perspective, especially with advanced command for his age.

3B/SS Robert Omidi, TBD

• Similar to Yost, not often is a rookie named a “sleeper prospect”, that said Omidi is someone that Tigers fans probably aren’t too acclimated with. The 6’0/188 pounder plays solid defense, and he’s not the most athletic but I’d expect him to play 3B in his professional career largely because of his arm, which has hit a max velocity of 86 mph during camps and averages 85 mph (85+ is considered a near 60 grade arm). Additionally he’s seen an average exit velocity across camp circuits of 96 mph with a max velocity of 107.5, but the most intriguing has been his bat speed. Omidi has a quick smooth left handed swing, and a frame that can add a bit of power to it as well but he’s shown quality exit velocities across circuits and camps (averaged 95 exit velo his last 6 months). Additionally, Omidi is more advanced than traditional prep hitters, largely because of playing in Canada where he’s typically playing yearly. His average bat speed across the final 5 month circuit was 79.5 mph which would put him higher than Ethan Holliday (75.5 mph), Eli Willits (77.7 mph), JoJo Parker (76.7 mph), Kevin McGonigle (76.7 mph), and others. Omidi has good range to play third, a good arm, and nice under the hood metrics. He may not hit the mark I think he can (future top 50 prospect) but he has the intangibles to do so. Sidenote, Tigers 11th rounder Will Adams’ has a bat speed of 79.2 mph with elite exit velocities as well.

3B Carson Rucker, A

• Rucker is truly fascinating, the 2023 4th rounder played just 13 games prior to 2025 where he slashed .235/.305/.295 with 30 BB and 104 K across 103 games. This season, Rucker has enjoyed more success with a .252/..375/.411 line and a .785 OPS. The true raw power profile is elite with Rucker, a 6’2/200 pounder. He’s posted 90th percentile or higher in exit velocity, hard hit rate, barrel rate, and max exit velocity (111 mph). Additionally, Rucker has a 16% BB rate but he’s seen massive struggles in his strikeouts, which sit at 112 or a 37% rate. Rucker makes contact in the zone, but he’ll expand, and has largely struggled vs breaking balls with a 46% whiff rate vs sliders, 42% vs curve balls, and a 40% vs changeup with his lowest being just 30% vs sinkers. If Rucker can command the zone, and limit his strikeout rates the sky’s the limit with his natural power, bat to ball skills, and ability to take his walks.