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Future Tigers: End of June Report – Cameron, Rivera, Stewart, and more

Signing a new crop of prospects has resulted in a lot of team shuffling within the Tigers’ minor league system, particularly at the lower levels, but it has not slowed down the production from some notable names in June.

See which names are hot and which names are not as we close out the month of June and the All-Star break draws near (for Double-A and Triple-A, that is).

[Note: Number next to player denotes prospect ranking within the organization (MLB prospect ranking). Click here to view our “mid-June” report on the Tigers’ prospects.]

3 UP

DAZ CAMERON | OF, Erie (No. 10)

  • LAST 10 GAMES: .357 BA (15 for 42), 2 HR, 10 RBI, 3 SB
  • SEASON STATS: .280/.363/.420 in 70 games (High-A and AA), 5 Hr, 30 RBI, 14/19 SB

Outfielder Daz Cameron is one of many prospects for the Tigers who have earned a promotion through the system since our last minor league report. Cameron, along with hurler and fellow prospect Alex Faedo (whom we will get to later) were both called up from High-A Lakeland this month. Seven of Cameron’s 18 hits with the SeaWolves are good for extra bases, resulting in a .705 slugging mark early on. He’s also a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts.

ZAC HOUSTON | RP, Toledo

  • LAST 4 GAMES: 4.1 IP, H, 2 BB, 7 K
  • SEASON STATS: 2.10 ERA (7 ER in 30 IP) in 24 games (AA and AAA), 0.93 WHIP, .137 opp. BA

Here is a name that has largely flown under the radar but will surely be flirting with a major league call-up if this trend continues. Reliever Zac Houston could confidently make a bid for being the Tigers’ top reliever in the minors in 2018, thus far at least. The 23-year-old appeared in 13 games with Erie (2.60 ERA) before graduating to Triple-A. He got knocked around some in his first appearance with the Mud Hens, surrendering two runs over 1.2 innings. Since then, he’s turned in 10 straight scoreless appearances, spanning 11 innings of work.

In fact, that Toledo debut for Houston on June 1 was the only outing in his last 17 games overall — between Erie and Toledo — in which he gave up any runs.

REYNALDO RIVERA | 1B, West Michigan (No. 21)

  • LAST 10 GAMES: .286 BA (10 for 35), HR, 5 RBI, 4 R
  • SEASON STATS: .271/.385/.481 in 58 games (Class-A), 5 HR, 39 RBI

West Michigan first baseman Reynaldo “Rey” Rivera continues to enjoy a major power surge in his first full minor league season. The 6-6, 250-pounder has now played in more games this season (58) than he did all of last season as a pro rookie (52). The strikeout and walk rates, respectively, are nearly identical but there has been a major uptick in production across his slash line, ultimately raising his OPS from .541 in 2017, up to .816 this year.

It is also worth noting that Rivera, the Tigers’ second-round pick in 2017, this season has played more than 72 percent of his innings defensively at first base, where he played mostly at Chipola Junior College. Last year, he played only a little under 27 percent of his defensive innings at first. Perhaps being back at his more natural position has helped him settle in mentally at the dish.

3 DOWN

CHRISTIN STEWART | OF, Toledo (No. 5)

  • LAST 10 GAMES: .200 BA (7 for 35), 2 HR, 8 RBI, 7 BB, 5 K
  • SEASON STATS: .269/.351/.504 in 72 games (AAA), 15 HR, 45 RBI

Easy does it, Tigers fans. Put your pitchforks down and take this with a grain of salt. Christin Stewart has hit a mini rough patch… happens to everybody. Quite frankly, there are some positives to take away from his recent 10-game stretch, specifically the fact that he has walked more than he struck out, a continued sign of improved plate discipline in 2018. This is not going to diminish his chances of being promoted in September, as we all assume will happen.

Of more importance, however, Stewart did leave Tuesday’s game and was eventually placed on the 7-day minor league disabled list with a minor calf injury. Stewart was one of four Mud Hens to recently be named to the Triple-A All-Star Game (July 11 in Columbus, OH) and represent the International League.

MIKE GERBER | OF, Toledo (No. 11)

  • LAST 10 GAMES: .205 BA (8 for 39), 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 14 K
  • SEASON STATS: .212/.259/.402 in 45 games (AAA), 8 HR, 23 RBI, 31.2% K-Rate

Remember when Mike Gerber came out guns a-blazing to start the year? Now he is struggling just to stay off the interstate. At times, Gerber has seen the average dip below .200. To be fair, he missed a large portion of May due to injury, and his isolated power of .190 is actually a tick higher than his career .187 ISO, above league average. Simply put, he is not getting on base enough and the strikeouts are climbing.

Like Stewart, Gerber will be a prime candidate for a September call-up, regardless of how he finishes the season out. He already had his cup of coffee with the Tigers earlier this season, logging a couple of at-bats. But it would be nice to see him perk the bat up again sooner than later.

JEFF THOMPSON | RP, Lakeland

  • LAST 3 GAMES: 5.79 ERA (3 ER in 4.2 IP), 7 H, 5 BB, 2 K
  • SEASON STATS: 6.84 ERA (19 ER in 25 IP) in 21 games (High-A and AA), 2.36 WHIP, .346 opp. BA

To put it lightly, Jeff Thompson has not fared well in 2018. The 26-year-old Thompson started the season at Double-A Erie after finishing the 2017 campaign with the SeaWolves. He had a 5.29 ERA in 14 relief appearances before being demoted back down to Lakeland. It has not gotten much better there for Thompson, unfortunately, posting an ERA over 10.00 in seven showings with the Flying Tigers.

Thompson, a former third-round pick in 2013, is in his second season as a full-time reliever after starting 52 of 67 minor league games from 2013-16. By and large, the former Louisville product has been a solid performer but for whatever reason, the damage allowed has soared in 2018.

OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

  • As we noted earlier, Alex Faedo (Tigers’ No. 3) was recently promoted to Double-A Erie and made his first start for the SeaWolves on June 19, going six innings and allowing two runs, striking out seven; basically right on par with his 3.10 ERA down in Lakeland. He followed that up with five shutout innings on Saturday. Faedo joins an extremely prospect-laden staff for Erie that includes Beau Burrows (Tigers’ No. 4) and Kyle Funkhouser (Tigers’ No. 7), along with the club’s prospect, Franklin Perez, who is rehabbing down in the GCL.
  • Taking Faedo’s spot in the rotation for the Lakeland Flying Tigers is Detroit’s No. 2 prospect, Matt Manning. The 20-year-old was officially called up to High-A just this past Wednesday after twirling a seven-inning, one-run gem the night before. Manning in 11 starts with West Michigan logged a 3.40 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He finished strong, too, allowing just the one run over 14 IP in his final two starts. There has been no official word yet on when Manning will make his debut for Lakeland.
  • Continuing with the Whitecaps, Tigers fans will find there a pair of 2018 draft picks in 10th-round selection Brock Deatherage (best name ever?), along with the third-round pick and newly-assigned Kody Clemens. The former Deatherage whacked four homers in nine ABs down in the Gulf Coast League before the Tigers promoted him two levels to West Michigan; he has played in seven games for the ‘Caps since then. The latter Clemens made his professional debut on Saturday, going 0 for 3 with a walk.

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Alex Muller
Alex Mullerhttps://lxandrthegr8.wordpress.com/
MSU Graduate. Just a city boy born and raised in south Detroit. Baseball is life, a pitcher at heart. Freelance writer for MIPrepZone (News-Herald, Press & Guide).

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