Detroit Tigers Prospects Draw Intriguing Opponent for Spring Breakout Game
The Detroit Tigers have a robust farm system and they will get the chance to show it off against one of the best teams in the National League next March in the Spring Breakout game.
The Tigers will travel to North Port, Fla., to face the Atlanta Braves on March 14. The game time and rosters will be announced at later date.
There’s a good chance that all five of the Tigers’ Top 100 prospects, as named by MLB Pipeline, could participate in the game.
That includes Detroit’s two Top 10 prospects — outfielder Max Clark and pitcher Jackson Jobe. Clark was the Detroit’s first-round pick in 2023 and the former prep star is climbing the farm system. Jobe, the son of pro golfer Brandt Jobe, is pitching for Double-A Erie and could contend for a Major League job next spring.
That is part of what will determine who plays in the game. Both Clark and Jobe figure to get invites to Major League camp in Lakeland. If either is legitimately competing for a job for Opening Day, they may not play.
Two other Top 100 prospects are far enough away from a Major League call-up to figure to be a part of the game. That includes infielder Kevin McGonigle, a former Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year and Bryce Rainer, a prep star who was taken in the first round of last month’s draft.
Jace Jung, the younger brother of Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung, is the last Top 100 prospect and he may be busy challenging for a MLB job as he is at Triple-A Toledo now.
MLB had Spring Breakout games for the first time this year and it proved successful.
Since those games, 95 participating players have made it to the Majors, and 35 of them have been MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects. When the MLB Futures Game was held last month during All-Star Game weekend, 48 of the 54 players in the game participated in Spring Breakout.
Clark participated in the MLB Futures Game along with infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee.
Lee is one of the Top 10 prospects in the organization, coming in at No. 8 in the latest MLB Pipeline rankings.
Catcher and first baseman Thayron Liranzo was No. 6, right-handed pitcher Jaden Hamm was No. 7, catcher Dillon Dingler was No. 9 and catcher/first baseman Josue Briceño was No. 10.
Dingler is another interesting case. He was called up to the Majors last month after the Tigers traded Carson Kelly to the Texas Rangers. If Dingler accumulates enough service time to graduate from the prospect rankings before next spring, he won’t be eligible for the game.
Still, the Tigers will have plenty of talent to showcase.
MATT POSTINS