The Tarik Skubal trade is going to be debated in Detroit for a long time.

Zyhir Hope can’t change that.

What he can do is make Tigers fans increasingly interested in what came back from Los Angeles.

Hope delivered his loudest performance since joining the organization Tuesday night, going 4-for-5 with a home run, double, three RBIs and two runs scored for Double-A Erie in a wild 6-5, 11-inning loss to New Hampshire.

For the 21-year-old outfielder who immediately became one of Detroit’s most important prospects, it was another reminder of why the Tigers insisted on getting him in the blockbuster that sent Skubal to the Dodgers.

Zyhir Hope Was Everywhere for Erie

Hope wasted little time making an impact Tuesday.

He doubled in the first inning, then came back in the third and launched a two-run home run to right field, giving Erie a 2-1 lead.

It was his second homer since joining the SeaWolves and his 25th home run overall this season.

Hope wasn’t finished.

He singled to open the eighth inning and eventually scored on a wild pitch, cutting New Hampshire’s lead to 4-3.

Then came the biggest plate appearance of his night.

With Erie trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Hope delivered an RBI single that scored Seth Stephenson and sent the game to extra innings. The SeaWolves eventually lost in the 11th, but Hope had accounted for three of Erie’s five RBIs while reaching base four times. The full Erie game breakdown showed just how thoroughly he controlled the offensive side of the game.

That’s a pretty good night at the office.

Hope’s 2026 Numbers Are Getting Difficult to Ignore

Tuesday wasn’t an isolated performance.

Hope is now hitting .279 with 25 home runs, 95 RBIs, 19 stolen bases and an .868 OPS across his 2026 Minor League season. Those numbers include his time with Double-A Tulsa before Detroit acquired him and his current stint with Erie.

That combination is exactly what makes Hope intriguing.

This isn’t simply a power-hitting outfielder trying to slug his way through the Minor Leagues.

He can impact a game with his bat, his legs and his defense.

MLB Pipeline’s updated rankings now have Hope as the No. 28 prospect in baseball and the No. 2 prospect in Detroit’s organization, behind only Max Clark.

Suddenly, the Tigers have two of baseball’s premier young outfielders sitting at the top of their organizational rankings.

Clark is already in Detroit.

Hope may eventually be next.

The Skubal Connection Isn’t Going Away

Fair or not, every big Hope performance is going to circle back to Skubal.

That’s what happens when you’re the centerpiece of the return for a pitcher who won consecutive American League Cy Young Awards.

Detroit acquired Hope along with right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith when it sent Skubal to Los Angeles at the deadline. The Tigers immediately assigned Hope to Erie, where he became one of the organization’s most closely watched players. MLB’s breakdown of the Skubal trade showed just how significant Hope was to Detroit’s return.

Detroit Sports Nation took a closer look at all three prospects Detroit received for Skubal immediately after the deal.

Hope was always the position player with the chance to make the trade look very different several years from now.

That doesn’t mean he has to become Skubal.

He doesn’t.

The Tigers aren’t asking Hope to win Cy Young Awards or single-handedly justify one of the most controversial transactions the franchise has made in years.

They need him to become an impact Major League player.

So far, there are plenty of reasons to believe that possibility is real.

Hope Has Settled In Quickly

The transition wasn’t completely seamless.

Hope went hitless in his first game with Erie after the trade, although even that performance included a 105-mph line drive that showed the type of contact he can produce.

It didn’t take much longer for the results to arrive.

His first hit in the Tigers organization was a two-run home run, giving Detroit fans an immediate glimpse of the power that made him such a coveted piece of the Skubal return. Detroit Sports Nation covered Hope’s first Tigers organization home run when he went deep for Erie on Aug. 6.

Now he’s delivered a four-hit game.

More importantly, Tuesday’s performance wasn’t built around one swing.

Hope doubled.

He homered.

He singled twice.

He drove in the tying run in the ninth.

That’s the type of complete offensive night that gets attention inside a player-development department.

Detroit’s Young Core Keeps Getting More Interesting

The Tigers already have Kevin McGonigle producing at the Major League level.

Clark is getting his first extended opportunity in Detroit.

Bryce Rainer has been tearing through August and just homered in four consecutive games for West Michigan.

Now Hope is heating up at Erie.

MLB Pipeline’s latest organizational rankings put Clark at No. 13 overall, Hope at No. 28 and Rainer at No. 48, giving Detroit three position players inside baseball’s Top 50 prospects.

That matters.

The Tigers made difficult decisions at the deadline, none bigger than trading Skubal. The only way those decisions ultimately work is if the young talent acquired and developed by the organization becomes legitimate Major League production.

Hope is still a long way from proving that.

But nights like Tuesday make the vision a lot easier to see.

Bottom Line

Zyhir Hope isn’t going to make Tigers fans forget Tarik Skubal.

That’s not the point.

The Tigers acquired Hope because they believe his combination of power, athleticism and offensive upside can make him part of their next championship-caliber core.

Tuesday night provided another glimpse of what that could look like.

Four hits. A double. A home run. Three RBIs. A game-tying hit in the ninth.

Hope now has 25 home runs and 95 RBIs this season, and Detroit’s No. 2 prospect appears increasingly comfortable in his new organization.

The Skubal trade will be judged years from now.

But if Hope keeps producing nights like this, Tigers fans are going to be paying very close attention along the way.