Elite Pitcher, Young Stars Drive Jump in Detroit Tigers’ Core Player Ranking
The Detroit Tigers haven’t been to the postseason since 2014. The organization is trying to change that, and it looks like the foundation is starting to take root.
ESPN, for the third straight year, ranked the core players for each franchise and then ranked the teams from 1 to 30. For the first time, Detroit wasn't in the bottom third of the rankings. This year the Tigers surged from No. 25, where it had been each of the past two years, to No. 18.
Detroit even had an elite player listed among its core, starting pitcher Tarik Skubal. The left-hander is among a small group of pitchers who are legitimate contenders for this year's American League Cy Young award. The Tigers could have traded him at the deadline but opted to keep him and try and build their young core around him.
Skubal was considered elite in these rankings due to his WAR, or wins above replacement. Elite players were defined a WAR of 5+ or more. Those are players ESPN considers to be MVP-level players.
ESPN used two other tiers for player rankings — plus players were defined by players with a WAR between 3-5+. Solid players had a WAR of 1.5-3+ or those that are lower end starters or role players.
From there, the team rankings were determined by the number of players each has under team control for at least the next two seasons. That can be pre-arbitration players, arbitration eligible players, veterans under long-term deals or prospects that haven’t reached the Majors yet.
This is where the Tigers’ dedication to player development, especially when it comes to pitching development — which it wrote was “yielding sneaky good outcomes” — is starting to pay off, per ESPN’s experts.
“Skubal is one of the top players in the sport right now, (Jackson) Jobe is the top pitching prospect in baseball, (Reese) Olson has had a breakthrough season, (Casey) Mize is healthy and contributing, and the next wave has either arrived (Ty Madden, Brant Hurter) or is about to (Troy Melton, Jaden Hamm).
The Tigers had two players listed at the plus level, but only one is in the Majors right now. That is outfielder Riley Greene. The other is Jobe, who is currently at Double-A Erie and is emerging as a candidate for the starting rotation sometime next season.
Detroit had 19 players listed on the solid category. As noted, some are already in the Majors, including outfielder Kerry Carpenter, second baseman Colt Keith, shortstop Trey Sweeney, third baseman Jace Jung, outfielder Parker Meadows and first baseman Spencer Torkelson.
But there is a wealth of talent on the farm that fits the bill. Along with the pitching, there is outfielder Max Clark, infielder Kevin McGonigle and catcher Thayron Liranzo, who are three of seven Tigers listed in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects.
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