The Tigers have a lot of young players on the doorstep of national notice. They only have one who's arrived.
In ESPN's ranking of Major League Baseball's top 100 players this season, the only Tiger to crack the list was 23-year-old outfielder Riley Greene. Greene hit .288 with a .796 OPS in 99 games last season, but missed significant time due to leg and elbow injuries, the latter of which required Tommy John. The former fifth overall pick has a chance to be special, if he can just stay on the field.
"We're still learning what kind of player Greene will turn out to be, but there is no doubt that his tools and skill set are impressive," writes ESPN's Brad Doolittle. "...The bottom line is that Greene hits the ball hard, plays a premium position and, at 23, is still getting better. He's a crucial part of the foundation for whatever the Tigers become."
Greene won't be playing that premium position much in the future. With the Tigers moving him into more of a corner outfield role to make way for 22-year-old Parker Meadows in center and to protect Green's long-term interests, Greene will have to speak with his bat and his speed on the bases to continue announcing himself in The Show. His offense has always been his biggest appeal.
Doolittle predicts that Greene will play 140-plus games this season for the first time in his young career, "while giving away a few points of average and upping his homer total into the 20s, staking his claim to become the face of the post-Miguel Cabrera Tigers."
The Tigers do have a couple other face-of-the-franchise candidates, starting with Spencer Torkelson. The 24-year-old first baseman and former first overall pick came into his own during a summer-long power surge last season and finished with 31 homers. On the mound, Tarik Skubal has the makings of an ace.
Detroit is also hoping for big things this season from the likes of 26-year-old outfielder Kerry Carpenter, who hit 20 homers last season, and 22-year-old Colt Keith, the organization's most advanced hitting prospect who's expected to win the Opening Day job at second base.