Both low-A Lakeland and High-A West Michigan, will see some exciting prospects in 2024. One of the decisions the Tigers will make during minor league camp is where the top of the most recent crop of draft picks will start the season. The top selections for last year’s draft class will most likely begin in Lakeland, but the hope will be having them advance to West Michigan during the season.
When evaluating pitching at the low levels of the minor leagues it is important to remember the base statistic line is not always the best indicator of progress. Recent draft picks like Paul Wilson, and Andrew Dunford, Jatnk Diaz, Jaden Hamm and Andrew Sears will look to get their first real taste of full season professional baseball. Additionally, Carlos Marcano signed out of Venezuela in 2021, Joe Adametz, and Tanner Kohlhepp will look to build on a promising start to their pro careers.
Wilson (3-76), Diaz (8-230), and Dunford (12-350) are three of the high school pitchers selected by the Tigers in the 2023 draft, expect the Tigers to move them slowly. The college arms on the other hand are likely to be pushed a little quicker as their development curve is flatter.
The offensive side of the ball is where it will get exciting for Tigers fans. Top prospects Max Clark (CF) and Kevin McGonigle (SS) will most likely start the year in Lakeland before moving north about the time the temperatures begin to climb in Michigan. Josue Briceno is currently a catcher, unlike the other catchers in the system, his bat is far ahead of his defense, also at 6’4” it is to be seen if he will be able to stick behind the plate long term. Max Anderson (2B), Jim Jarvis (IF), John Peck (IF), Abel Bastidas (IF) and Carson Rucker (SS/3B) will be looking to establish themselves as professionals.
Like on the mound the Tigers went heavy on high upside college bats in Clark (1-3), McGonigle (1-37), and Rucker (4-107). They mixed in 4 year college bats in Anderson (2-45), Peck (7-200), and Jarvis (11-320). Along with the international signees (Bastidas and Briceno) these players will move as soon as they demonstrate they have mastered their defensive assignments as well as being ready for more advanced pitching.
There are also several prospects who are looking to revive their prospect shine. Roberto Campos, Christian Santana, Jose De La Cruz, and Adinso Reyes were all highly regarded and paid international signings who need to start showing progress if their career is going to get on track in the Tigers system. There are also a couple of recent draft picks who need to show some progress in 2024. Peyton Graham and Izaac Pacheco are both second round picks who have struggled so far in the minors, they don’t need to make the majors this year, but they need to show some healthy progress.
The Low-A teams are likely to see a lot of player movement during the season. The Tigers expect players like Clark and McGonigle to perform at a high level, but the future of the organization is dependent on the development of these players in the lowest levels of the system. This will be a great summer to get a glimpse of the players who will anchor the Future Tigers lineups.
