Detroit Tigers farm system check-in: Toledo Mud Hens Get Season Started, Nevin mashes

The Detroit Tigers AAA affiliate the Toledo Mud Hens got their season started this past weekend, they lost two of the three games they played against the St. Paul Saints. The other three minor league teams for the Tigers will get their seasons started at the end of this week.

Toledo Mud Hens Player Of The Weekend: Tyler Nevin

Tyler Nevin appeared in all three games for the Mud Hens this weekend and was a pain for Saints pitchers to get out. Nevin made nine trips to the plate and got a hit in six of them, Saints pitchers failed to strike Nevin out. Nevin posted a slash line of .667/.667/1.333 while hitting a double, a triple, and a home run; he also scored two runs and drove in two.

Tigers Minor League Players To Watch This Week

Toledo Mud Hens: Andre Lipcius

Lipcius is the Tigers Top Prospects (mlb.com). Last weekend he got off to a tough start against the Saints going two for ten, scoring a run, and driving in a run; he walked once and struck out three times on the weekend. This weekend Lipcius and the Mud Hens will travel to Omaha to take on the Storm Chasers, the AAA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Lipcius has played in five games against Omaha, all coming last season. In those five games, he was 5-16 with two runs scored, and two RBI; he also walked three times and only strike out once.

Erie Seawolves: Colt Keith

Keith is the fourth-ranked prospect in the Tigers system. Keith had a solid Spring Training for the Tigers playing in 16 games and going 6-23, posting a slash line of .261/.370/.696 but on April 2nd was optioned to Erie for the start of the season. Keith really broke out in the Arizona Fall League when he played in 19 games posting a slash line of .344/.463/.541 with three home runs and ten RBI with the Salt River Rafters. This will be Keith’s first time above High A.

West Michigan WhiteCaps: Jace Jung

Jung is the second-ranked prospect in the Tigers system as well as the 83rd overall-ranked prospect in the MLB Top 100. He’s entering his second season with the Whitecaps as they get their season started on Thursday against the Fort Wayne TinCaps, the High A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Last season Jung played in 30 games with West Michigan after his college career ended at Texas Tech University; Jung would post a slash line of .231/.373/.333 in those 30 games. Jung appeared in five games against the TinCaps last season, going five for 19 with three runs scored, and four RBI; he would walk six times and strikeout four times.

Lakeland Flying Tigers: Peyton Graham

Graham is the sixth-ranked prospect in the Tigers system. Graham is back in Lakeland for his second season after playing in 27 games for them last season after he finished his college season at Oklahoma University. Lakeland will get their season started on Friday when they travel to Tampa to take on the Tampa Tarpons the single A affiliate of the New York Yankees. Graham in his 27 games last season would post a slash line of .270/.345/.370. Graham did not face the Tarpons last season in his 27 games.

Wrap Up

The Detroit Tigers minor league teams have some very talented prospects who could very well make the big league club this season or over the next few seasons. With the Tigers’ new General Manager Scott Harris working on retooling the club and potentially looking to make moves throughout the season, the Tigers Minor League System could get more loaded as the season goes on with other teams’ top prospects.