Detroit Tigers Have Two Special Catching Prospects On Their Hands
With so many star prospects having reached the Major League level for the Detroit Tigers, it's fair to wonder how the rest of their farm system might look going forward.
The good news is this pipeline has some of the best young talent across Major League Baseball, as seven of their current top 10 prospects are at the High Single-A level or lower, signaling even more talent is on the way for the Tigers in the coming years.
Two of their most intriguing young players, Josue Briceno and Thayron Liranzo, are on display during the Arizona Fall League right now, and according to the evaluations by Keith Law of The Athletic, it sounds like Detroit might have two special catching prospects on their hands.
Briceno was overshadowed a bit following their acquisition of Liranzo at this past trade deadline, but ranked No. 9 in the Tigers' pipeline at 20 years old, Briceno looks like he can be a huge piece of this puzzle.
What's interesting is he also has some positional versatility to him, something Law highlighted in his most recent notebook coming from the AFL.
"[Briceno's] not catching in Arizona as he was only listed as a first baseman, with Liranzo sent as a catcher and thus taking up the reps behind the plate, but he's probably been the most impressive bat in the early going, hitting all kinds of pitching — left and right, all pitch types, and to all fields," he noted.
So far, the Venezuela native has played 56 games at catcher, 37 at first base and has been the designated hitter 47 times during his short career. The lefty batter could provide a platoon split for Spencer Torkelson down the line if he rapidly ascends in the minors.
As for Liranzo, he seems like everything the Tigers imagined when they got him from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty trade.
With Trey Sweeney looking like he's the shortstop of the future in Detroit, there's a chance the 21-year-old is also that at the catcher position.
"Liranzo, by the way, can really, really throw, and has gone 8 for 16 with a homer and four doubles in limited playing time. I saw one game from him, and it is such a smooth, easy, powerful swing that if he keeps the strikeout rate in check, he's going to be a star," Law wrote.
That is a great sign for the Tigers.
These two will be players to keep an eye on throughout their minor league careers as they look to make their MLB debuts sometime soon.
