Detroit Tigers Elite Farm System Swelling With Top 100 Prospects in Latest Rankings
The Detroit Tigers have invested heavily in beefing up its farm system, and in the most recent MLB Pipeline Top 100 rankings, that investment was rewarded.
The new rankings, which came out on Tuesday and took into account player progress, the draft and the trade deadline, saw the Tigers end up with five Top 100 prospects.
The Tigers were also one of three teams with a pair of Top 10 prospects, along with the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays. Detroit had the highest-ranked non-drafted newcomer and had one of 12 players that were drafted last month that moved into the Top 100.
Combined, the Tigers had the second-most prospect points of any organization (332), behind only the Chicago Cubs. Prospect points are allocated by ranking (100 points for No. 1, etc…).
Detroit’s two highest-ranked prospects are outfielder Max Clark at No. 7 and pitcher Jackson Jobe at No. 8.
Clark was the Tigers’ first-round pick last year and he has accelerated quickly in the Tigers’ system, even though he was in high school last year. He’s already at High-A West Michigan.
The Tigers wanted him so bad they signed him to a $7.7 million bonus after he was named both the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year and the Gatorade Best Player of the Year (regardless of sport).
Clark had such a good first half that he was invited to play for the American League in the MLB Futures Game earlier this month during All-Star weekend. He’s batting .286 for this season.
Jobe is the son of professional golfer Brandt Jobe and has progressed to Double-A Erie after earning a promotion earlier this year from High-A West Michigan. This season his is 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA.
If he continues this progress he could figure into the Tigers’ plans in late 2025.
McGonigle, the fast-riser, was ranked No. 33. He is another 19-year-old prospect who was drafted last year in the second round and signed a $2.85 million bonus. He was the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year for Bonner & Prendergast Catholic High School.
He just earned a promotion to West Michigan and Baseball America recently selected him as their Tigers midseason organizational player of the year.
Bryce Rainer, another high schooler, was just selected in the first round of July’s MLB Draft and was assigned to Detroit’s Florida Complex League team. He is ranked No. 61.
Jace Jung, the younger brother of Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung, was ranked No. 64. He is at Triple-A Toledo and is batting .261 this season.
MATT POSTINS