Switch-Hitting Catcher Named Prospect to Watch for Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers have entered the offseason coming off one of the best seasons in quite some time for the franchise.
It was an amazing campaign for the Tigers in 2024. Thanks to an amazing second half of the season, Detroit was able to snap their playoff drought. In October, the Tigers kept their momentum going against the Houston Astros, as they defeated one of the best teams in the American League for nearly the last decade.
A major reason for the success of the Tigers last season was the development and success of some of their young players. Players like Tarik Skubal and Riley Greene took a significant step forward to become the new stars of the team.
However, while those two players really shined, there were plenty of other young, homegrown talent that contributed to the success.
While Detroit exceeded expectations in 2024, there is still a lot of young talent on the way for the team.
Jason Beck of MLB.com recently spoke about the top prospect to watch in 2025 for the Tigers. Beck spoke about catcher Thayron Liranzo, who while isn’t in the top five of the current prospects for Detroit, is a talented player on the rise.
“Liranzo (Detroit’s No. 6 prospect) put together a sneaky good season behind him, backing up his breakout stretch run at High-A West Michigan and reinforcing hopes that the switch-hitting backstop can fill a role as the Tigers’ catcher of the future with impact both at the plate and behind it. Catchers can take longer to develop than other position players, but Liranzo has a chance to make some noise at Double-A Erie at some point next season.”
The Tigers still have one of the best farm systems in the league despite making the postseason last year. As the franchise looks to create sustained success for years to come, having good prospects is crucial for that.
With plenty of talented prospects to choose from, Beck picking Liranzo is an interesting choice. In Fall League, the switch-hitting catcher tore it up. The 20-year-old totaled a .375 batting average, six doubles, two home runs, and seven RBIs in 48 at-bats.
Liranzo is still a very young and raw prospect, but he has a ton of potential. As the year goes on in 2025, the switch-hitting catcher could very well see himself move into the Top-3 of the prospect rankings for the Tigers.
There is a lot of talent that is going to be coming up in the next couple of seasons for Detroit, making this an exciting time for the franchise. With success in the majors and stars in the minors, the Tigers might not be a one-year fluke in October.
For Liranzo, while he shouldn’t see the majors in 2025, his development in the minors will certainly be something to keep an eye on.
