The rebuild is underway in Detroit.
For Tigers fans, that means the 2018 Opening Day roster will look much different than it did in 2017 and that making the MLB Playoffs, though possible, seems more like a pipe dream at this point.
But that does not mean the future in the Motor City is not bright.
In fact, according to Baseball America, the Detroit Tigers now have a trio of pitchers included on their “Top 100 MLB Prospects 2018” list.
The highest rated prospect to make the list is Franklin Perez, who comes in at No. 32. Perez, who is just 20-years-old, is a 6’3″, 197-lb right-handed pitcher who was acquired from the Astros as part of the package that sent Justin Verlander to Houston at the trade deadline.
In 2017, Perez made it has high as Double A, where at just 19 years of age, he posted a 3.09 ERA while striking out 25 batters in 32 innings of work. With a fastball that reaches the mid-90’s and a solid curveball to go along with it, Perez will continue to work on his change-up and slider, most likely at Double A Erie in 2018. Though it will be tempting to see what he can do at the MLB level, you can bet the Tigers will be patient with the youngster, especially when the team is not expected to contend.
Via Baseball America (Pay site):
“Perez doesn’t blow hitters away like a future No. 1 starter,” Cooper writes, “but he also doesn’t have much to refine to be a future mid-rotation starter. He had knee problems in 2017 that are worth keeping an eye on, but he has present above-average stuff and advanced control for his age. He’ll head to Double-A Erie in 2018 but could be only a year away from Detroit.”
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Joining Perez on the Top 100 list are right-handers Alex Faedo who checks in at No. 50 and Matt Manning who made cut at No. 78.
Faedo, who is 22-years-old, was selected 18th overall by the Tigers in the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft. Rather than throwing the youngster into the mix immediately after a long season at the University of Florida, general manager Al Avila decided to shut him down so he was ready to roll in 2018. During his final season with the Gators, Faedo was 9-3 with a 2.26 ERA while striking out 157 batters in 123.2 innings pitched.
The final Tigers prospect to make the list is Matt Manning, who was selected 9th overall in the 2016 MLB Draft. In 2017, Manning was a combined 4-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 14 total starts in Single-A while striking out 62 batters in just 51 innings of work.
