The Tigers have the best record in MLB, but their minor league system is thriving to an equal degree. This look at their Top 10 prospects helps explain why.
1. Kevin McGonigle, SS
Simply put, the left-handed hitting McGonigle rakes. Any type of pitching. All situations. With an unrelenting stream of line drives. And he’s done it from the moment he entered pro ball. His OPS is over 1.000 this season. It was last year, too. He recognizes pitches before most hitters, and offers with a short, decisive bat path. It’s likely lift will come and more of his doubles will become home runs. McGonigle is a man among boys at the High-A level as a hitter. He’s been slowed by an ankle issue this season, but has plus speed when healthy. McGonigle has good actions at shortstop, and enough of an arm. However, he needs to be more consistent on routine plays, and tighten up the nuances of the position, to stay at short. He definitely belongs in Erie at this point.
McGonigle has good actions at shortstop, and enough of an arm. However, he needs to be more consistent on routine plays, and tighten up the nuances of the position, to stay at short. He definitely belongs in Erie at this point.
2. Max Clark, CF
There is little doubt Clark will play, and reasonably well in MLB. The question is how high is his ceiling. He has a well-above average eye at the plate, drawing walks at a healthy rate and making consistent contact. He is a very tough out with runners in scoring position, which explains his high number of RBI despite a relatively low slugging percentage. The question is whether the power will come without sacrificing what Clark does so well.
As an outfielder, he is more than MLB ready. He has excellent range, plus-plus speed and a plus throwing arm. It’s often asked whether Clark is a better center fielder than Parker Meadows. Well, nobody is, but know this: Clark is the next-best thing and he’s potentially a much better hitter.
3. Bryce Rainer, SS
Rainer was a mixed bag coming out of high school. One question was potential contact issues against higher velocity. Another was playing middle infield with a lanky body type. None of that was an issue before he hurt his shoulder this spring sliding into first base, ending his season at Low-A Lakeland.
Rainer, a lefty hitter, has exceptional potential. He has the classic 'live' bat. There is much power there. His arm was extraordinary before the injury, which was to his throwing shoulder. It may take a little longer because of the injury, and it may force a move off short in the worst case scenario, but Rainer definitely has a chance to become a high-end MLB player.
4. Max Anderson, 2B
Ranking Anderson this high will raise some eyebrows, but it shouldn’t. He’s been undervalued, and frankly presents everything the Tigers are looking for in a hitter and their position players in general. At nearly a year younger than the average player in Double-A, he has dominated the Eastern League for Erie. His slugging percentage is pushing .600 and his OPS is nearly 1.000. He drives the ball, yet has a low strikeout rate. He is not athletic for a middle infielder, but has good hands and is not mistake prone.
Anderson hit .411 with big-time power at Nebraska, and he’s adjusted to pro ball. He’s kind of gotten an unfair rap because A) he doesn’t look the part of a high-end prospect and B) he was signed under slot value as a second-round pick of the Tigers in 2023. But he’s definitely one of those players where if you watch him consistently, you start to understand how good he is, and that Anderson is certainly capable of being a solid MLB regular.
5. Josue Briceño, C/1B
After he tore up the Arizona Fall League, Briceño has, predictably, done the same at High-A West Michigan. He has slowed some in June, but his potential as a left-handed thumper is obvious. He is just 20 year old. He had a knee ailment that knocked him out for most of last season. He has caught just 16 games in ‘25, and played about the same amount at first base and DH. His throwing has been better this season, but he is awkward as a catcher.
Briceño, who doesn’t turn 21 until September, is listed at 6-foot-4, but looks taller and doesn’t appear to be a fluid athlete. This is strictly a hit-tool player, but high-end in that area. A crack in his armor has developed against left-handers. He's batting just .157 against them this season. There is a boom-or-bust aspect to Briceño. However, like McGonigle and Clark, he belongs in Erie despite his youth. He has already shown as much as he needs to against A-ball pitching. His ceiling as a power hitter is through the roof, but don’t hold your breath expecting him to become a multi-dimensional asset.
6. Thayron Liranzo, C
Soon to turn 22, Liranzo has held his own at Double-A Erie more than his .206 batting average suggests. He got off to a woefully poor start, and has endured nagging injuries, but his OPS in May was .782 and it is .830 in June. Liranzo has shown power flashes, but not the consistent type the Tigers are hoping he will eventually display. He is a switch hitter, and has a beautiful, classic lefty swing, but he has been a much better hitter in 2024 and 2025 right-handed. He has an imposing presence in the batter’s box, and it’s notable how opposing pitchers proceed with caution. While he does strike out a ton, he also takes his walks.
As a catcher, Liranzo is raw. He has made some improvements as a receiver, but compared to the Tigers’ MLB catchers Dillion Dingler and Jake Rogers, he is way behind. He has a good arm, and has nearly doubled his caught stealing rate from a woeful 15 percent last season and 10 percent in the Arizona Fall League, to 28 percent in ’25. Still, Liranzo has plenty of work to do on fundamentals like pitch framing, pop-up time, etc. The Dodgers were working him at first base before trading him to the Tigers in the Jack Flaherty deal. The Tigers are not. But he’s only caught 33 games this season, appearing often as a DH, so it’s been going slower than ideal in that regard. Liranzo has a high-ceiling as a hitter, though, and a better chance to stick at catcher than Briceño.
7. Hao-Yu Lee, 2B
What’s not acknowledged enough about Lee is his age. He is only 22, nearly five years younger than the average of the Triple-A players he is competing against. He’s had some tough ailments since joining the Tigers, including getting beaned multiple times. But the right-handed hitter nonetheless hangs in at the plate well, has surprising pop and runs much better than his body type suggests.
The Tigers have tried to force-feed Lee into a third baseman. Good luck with that. He made nine errors in his first 32 games at third compared to just one in 33 appearances at second. But you can’t blame the Tigers for trying, given their extraordinary organizational depth at second compared to a glaring hole at third.
8. Troy Melton, RHP
A fourth-round pick in ’22, Melton has upside because of a plus fastball with the makings of multiple MLB-caliber pitches. He struggled last season after a big year in 2023, performed well at Erie to start ‘25, but got off to a slow start after being promoted to Toledo. His changeup and slider have good action. While he’s hardly another version of “Wild Thing,” Melton will sometimes inexplicably lose command toward the center of the plate. He needs to work the edges better with his four-seamer to set up his breaking balls and changeup. Some would argue this point, but he does have potential as a rotational piece. It’s all about refining his command.
9. Cris Rodriguez, OF
The Tigers traditionally have underachieved on the international signing front, which was odd because former general manager Al Avila cut his teeth in that realm. The current regime landed a big fish in Rodriguez, who received a club-record $3.2 million bonus for an international prospect.
There is precious little game-footage of Rodriguez readily available, but it’s clear he has the type of size, movement, athleticism, body type and swing path that is exceptional for his age. He is playing in the Dominican Summer League, which is about as far off baseball’s basic radar as it gets. Just 17, he has three home runs in 66 at bats and a .765 OPS. He has played mostly center field, making one error in 24 chances. He is not young for that league. The average age of the players on his team is 17.9, but he has easily been the best hitter. A better gauge will be presented when he makes his debut stateside in the Florida Complex League next year.
10. Izaac Pacheco, 3B
This will raise some eyebrows too, but Pacheco has improved immensely. His on-base percentage is close to .400 and his OPS only recently dropped below .900 for West Michigan. He won’t turn 23 until the fall. If he were a college player, in his second year out, there would be a lot of genuflecting about Pacheco. It was a big “get” for the Tigers when they signed him away from Texas A&M out of high school, but he didn’t live up to the immediate hype. Yet, the same can be said for some of Detroit's current key contributors like Dingler, Wenceel Pérez and Parker Meadows.
He is a below-average runner, but has good hands, arm strength and moves adequately at third. He’s been a bit of an error machine lately and needs to tighten that up. Also, it’s been just a half-a-season of impressive hitting. Before becoming a big leaguer, Pacheco must curb strikeouts and display more power. He’s a big, strong player (6-3, 225 pounds). The upside the Tigers saw on draft day in 2021 is starting to come through. It appears he will sustain it.