Baseball America unveils updated list of the Tigers’ top ten prospects

Even though we are nearly four months away from Opening Day 2025, the Detroit Tigers have yet to kick off their offseason transactions in a meaningful way, but prospect list season is already upon us. Baseball America unveiled their updated top 10 prospect rankings for the farm system on Thursday. There are several intriguing selections this time, but one fact stands out. The Tigers’ system is undeniably strong.

At the forefront is top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe. The 22-year-old right-handed pitcher made his big league debut during the final stretch of the 2024 season, and manager A.J. Hinch showed confidence in the newcomer by utilizing him in the postseason more than several other seasoned relievers. While the outcome wasn’t entirely positive, Jobe’s natural talent and poise were remarkable. With some adjustments from pitching coaches Chris Fetter, Robin Lund, and Juan Nieves, Jobe is expected to be ready to make contributions in the Tigers’ rotation in 2025. He’s likely to be a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year as the spring approaches.

Here is Baseball America’s top ten prospects for the Tigers. As always, we encourage fans eager to delve deeper into the game at various levels, from high school and college to international play and professional baseball, to subscribe and support their unique coverage.

1. RHP Jackson Jobe
2. CF Max Clark
3. SS/2B Kevin McGonigle
4. SS Bryce Rainer
5. C Thayron Liranzo
6. C Dillon Dingler
7. 3B/2B Jace Jung
8. SS Trey Sweeney
9. C Josue Briceño
10. LHP Brant Hurter

There’s not much to dispute in the top five, although some choices are rather fascinating overall. Personally, I also have Jackson Jobe at the top, but a solid case could be made for Max Clark or Kevin McGonigle in the second position.

High school shortstop Bryce Rainer, who was selected 11th overall from Harvard-Westlake High School last July, comes in at fourth overall. This tall shortstop possesses tremendous raw power, speed, and a powerful throwing arm, while demonstrating commendable plate discipline and contact skills for his age. Although we didn’t truly expect him to land with the Tigers, they signed him for $5,797,500. The Tigers kept him on the backfields in Lakeland post-draft, so he didn’t face off against pro competition. For this reason, I have him a bit lower on the list, but his tools are impressive, and we’re eagerly awaiting his debut in 2025.

Scott Harris seems to have effectively converted talent from expiring contracts into excellent prospect assets. When Jack Flaherty was traded, many believed he didn’t receive sufficient return from the Dodgers. Ideally, adding a lower-level pitching prospect would have enhanced the deal, yet securing the best possible players is what counts, and catcher Thayron Liranzo appears to be a fantastic addition.

Initially, Liranzo’s defensive abilities drew criticism, but by the conclusion of his season, following a stellar performance in the Arizona Fall League, national sentiment began to align with what we observed regarding his defensive skills. His pop times, arm strength and accuracy, as well as his commitment to game planning and managing pitchers, all look quite promising. His framing has significantly improved since joining the Tigers, and if he continues to enhance these facets along with his blocking skills, he has the potential to be a starting catcher even under a manager with high expectations for his catchers.

At the plate, Liranzo was already recognized for his power and plate discipline from both sides when he joined from the Dodgers. These impressions have been bolstered as the 21-year-old posted a .315 average with the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps, displaying an impressive 22.6 percent walk rate. He struck out 17.4 percent of the time, achieving an impressive .470 OBP, complemented by five homers and seven doubles over 26 games. This performance was remarkable given the unique pressures faced by a young catcher who had just turned 21 in July and was adapting to a new organization. Whitecaps pitchers praised him as a leader and a reliable game-caller, even as he improved physically behind the plate.

A significant highlight of an excellent season came when Liranzo excelled in the Arizona Fall League, ranking fifth in the league among players with 40 or more at-bats. He belted two homers in 15 games and posted a 1.159 OPS during that time. Personally, I would rank him above Rainer at this stage, although a 50 FV rating could comfortably apply to both players. If Liranzo maintains his performance in Double-A against consistently tougher pitching, he may challenge Clark and McGonigle for the top spots in the Tigers’ prospect rankings next summer.

A surprising entry for me is finding Dillon Dingler at the sixth position. At 25 years old, the Tigers’ recently named backup catcher finally made a name for himself at the Triple-A level. He recorded a 139 wRC+ and hit 17 home runs in just 71 games with the Mud Hens, while markedly lowering his strikeout rate. Dingler is already a dependable backstop with average or above-average skills across the board and should continue to refine his game under Hinch and the Tigers’ coaching staff.

Dingler’s 87 appearances at the major league level didn’t go as planned, but they aren’t reflective of his future potential. There’s a strong chance he could produce similarly to Jake Rogers, for instance. He should aim for average big league production at his peak, but likely will experience some struggles along the way.

If things align more favorably and Dingler proves to be a slightly below-average hitter, he can still provide 1-2 WAR in most seasons. Currently, the Steamer projections on FanGraphs estimate a .225/.288/.377 line for a 90 wRC+ in 2025, which matches our expectations and those found in prospect evaluations over the last two years. We can hope that he unlocks another level offensively. Should he achieve that, his playing time will likely increase next year as he starts to take more reps from Rogers.

Jace Jung at seventh and Trey Sweeney at eighth is particularly intriguing. Jung’s appeal as a prospect lies in his plate discipline and the number of fly balls he’s generated for homers over the last two seasons. His major league debut, spanning 94 plate appearances, wasn’t flawless, yet he managed a .362 OBP and should tap into some power with increased experience. That walk rate may not be entirely sustainable due to his chase and contact rates, but he possesses the potential for 20 home runs and should unlock more of that moving forward.

Jung is not ideally suited for third base and currently presents a tricky fit on the Tigers’ active roster, especially with Colt Keith solidly entrenched at second. The club needs enhancements in the infield, and finding playing time may be challenging without a trade.

Sweeney proved to be invaluable as the second piece in the Jack Flaherty trade. The young shortstop not only solidified the position defensively with Javier Báez sidelined for the season, but he also contributed significantly at the plate. He made one of the most memorable catches in recent Tigers history, helping clinch a game on September 23 in Baltimore.

Sweeney still profiles as a somewhat below-average hitter who may struggle against southpaw pitching. At this moment, he remains a bit outside the national top 100 lists, yet he does possess solid power, and his history suggests that his plate discipline could improve with more experience at the major league level. He also exceeded expectations with his defensive play for the Tigers, showcasing notable improvement during the short but action-packed time he spent up. Whether he remains a long-term solution at shortstop is uncertain, but he stands as their best option and will likely have ample opportunity to prove himself in 2025.

In my view, Josue Briceño is undervalued at the ninth spot. While he’s more likely destined for first base than catcher, he arguably stands out as the best overall hitting prospect in the farm system. During his first full season at Single-A with Lakeland, Briceño displayed contact skills and discipline nearly on par with McGonigle’s, but with added power potential. A knee injury sidelined him from June until September, causing his impressive start to fade until his standout performance in the Arizona Fall League.

Facing High-A caliber pitching for the first time in 25 games, Briceño became a force, belting 10 home runs, with an outstanding .433/.509/.867 line, and earning league MVP honors. His only notable issue earlier in the season was hitting too many ground balls. Regardless of the desert air, Briceño’s efforts to engage his legs more in his swing to elevate more balls proved extremely beneficial, allowing him to send balls to the opposite field and crush shots exceeding 420 feet to center and right-center.

Here is Briceño hitting a home run off Andrew Painter deep into center field back in mid-October.

Briceño has expressed his desire to keep catching this offseason. After returning from his injury, he primarily played first base, possibly as a precaution for his knee. Nonetheless, his offensive development may outpace his defensive skills if he continues as a catcher, and his physical abilities suggest he may never be the starting catcher for the Tigers. He might serve as a backup while also playing first base, but his true value lies in his hitting. It will be intriguing to see how quickly the Tigers promote him to the Double-A level in 2025.

Lastly, we have left-hander Brant Hurter, who performed admirably towards the end of the season and in the postseason but has not yet lost prospect status. The sizable southpaw’s sweeping slider has evolved into a genuine asset for him in the past two years, but it’s his improvements with the sinker and command that significantly advanced his game in 2024.

Hurter, along with Keider Montero and Ty Madden, struggled throughout the first half of the season in Triple-A. However, he began to find his rhythm during the summer months, and when he was promoted at the beginning of August, he only threw strikes and secured outs for the remainder of the season. Though his strikeouts were relatively low, he maintained a 70.9 percent first-pitch strike rate, and right-handed hitters found it challenging to adjust to his pitching angle. They conceded numerous called strikes, and almost all the hard contact against Hurter was grounded.

I’m skeptical that Hurter can maintain a walk rate below four, and he’s likely to yield more hard contact in a full starting role. He needs to increase his strikeouts and develop a third pitch to establish himself as a regular starter. Nevertheless, while A.J. Hinch often employed an opener for Hurter’s extended outings, in six of his ten appearances, the lefty managed to pitch five or more innings. Therefore, he wasn’t merely navigating the heart of the opposing lineup once per game. He might earn some starts, long relief appearances, and potentially some high-leverage situations in 2025. Hurter might be more beneficial to the Tigers in a hybrid role than as a full rotation member, but he’s likely to receive opportunities to alter that impression.

Jaden Hamm and Hao-Yu Lee

The two prospects absent from this list are RHP Jaden Hamm and 2B/3B Hao-Yu Lee. Hamm was named the Tigers’ Pitcher of the Year in the farm system, according to MLB Pipeline. He dominated the Midwest League showcasing a high-riding fastball and a sharp overhand curve throughout the season, and he should integrate seamlessly into a team boasting strong outfield defense and ample midfield space. Hamm generates a high volume of weak flyballs and pop-ups, having struck out 30.6 percent of hitters faced at the High-A level.

As we noted in his assessment for the MLB Pipeline awards, Hamm could still benefit from developing a better slider or offspeed pitch as he transitions to Double-A in 2025. If he can elevate his velocity to a consistent 95-96 mph, he might offset the absence of a third pitch to provide variety. Hamm is lurking just outside the majority of top 100 lists, and it’s reasonable to want to see a promising starting pitching prospect tackle upper-level hitters before enhancing his ranking. Still, I see greater upside in him compared to Jung, Dingler, Hurter, or Sweeney. If he can elevate his game further in 2025, he will garner more considerable attention.

Hao-Yu Lee might be the most underrated prospect in the system. As a 21-year-old, the former Phillies prospect acquired for Michael Lorenzen in July 2023, he ravaged Eastern League pitching, beginning to harness his above-average raw power more consistently. Lee can drive the ball to all fields, but he intentionally focused on elevating more balls in the air in 2024, achieving significant success. He did this while maintaining his typical right-center approach.

Lee struck out just 17.9 percent of the time, with an 8.5 percent walk rate, all while being one of the younger hitters in the league. He produces many line drives and consistently demonstrates resilient at-bats. The second baseman-turned-third baseman is not likely to remain at that position long-term, and his future is probably on the right-hand side of the diamond, but he displayed solid improvements in his defense, and despite his strong, powerful physique, he possesses surprising speed. He hit 12 homers and swiped 16 bases while batting .298 for the SeaWolves in 87 games.

Twice in July, Lee was struck in the helmet by pitches. He missed some time and didn’t really regain his rhythm until August, when a back injury curtailed his season. Concerns may persist, but he is known to be an intensely dedicated worker, and his aggressive, hard-nosed playing style will likely resonate with Tigers’ fans. He’s genuinely skilled at hitting. He’s assertive at the plate, yet possesses the discipline to draw walks, along with the contact ability and power to hit for distance to all fields.

The injuries and abrupt end to his season may have allowed him to fall under the radar, but if Lee isn’t a top 100 prospect yet, he’s very close. Personally, I would assign him a 50 FV already, and he’ll likely rank around 7-8 on our list. His hitting upside exceeds that of Jung and certainly Sweeney. Determining his position will be crucial this year as he, like Jung, projects best at second base, though he could also potentially play some corner outfield. Anticipate seeing him in Triple-A soon as a 22-year-old. The Taiwanese prospect is advancing quickly, with injuries being the only hurdle preventing his rise to Toledo in 2024.

We can debate many of these rankings, as that’s their purpose, but the overarching conclusion is that the Tigers’ farm system is in excellent condition. This group at the top is stronger than the year when Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Spencer Torkelson, and Riley Greene were all featured in the top 50 of many lists, and the system has greater depth at the lower levels now.

Recently, it was announced that the Tigers received the second overall pick in the Competitive Balance A round, meaning they’ll select 24th and 32nd in total in 2025, which is commendable after reaching the playoffs. They’re well-positioned to infuse more talent into the organization next July. Hopefully, they won’t find themselves picking near the top again for quite some time.

The Tigers may not follow through with the moves you, or we, anticipate this offseason, but regardless, the future looks exceptionally bright for the organization moving forward.