Detroit Tigers Top 25 Prospects: Honorable Mentions
Aug 3, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer (32) warms up before the second inning against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit Tigers prospects like Michael Fulmer and James McCann have made a significant impact in recent years, playing key roles. Here are the players who just missed the top 25 in MCB’s top Tigers prospects.
Detroit Tigers fans have seen the team trade many of the organization’s top prospects in years past.
The likes of Devon Travis, Jake Thompson and Willy Adames have all been dealt to other franchises for Major League upgrades.
However, things are different now under general manager Al Avila.
Avila and the rest of the front office have drastically improved the team’s long-term outlook with the additions of Michael Fulmer, Matt Manning, Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd and Kyle Funkhouser through trades and the draft.
The team has also held on to top prospects like Christin Stewart, Derek Hill and Beau Burrows.
With a promising 2016 draft class just completing their respective first seasons in professional baseball, the Tigers are well on their way to a more sustainable future.
Here at Motor City Bengals, we’ll begin a countdown of the top 25 prospects in the organization heading into 2017. That begins tomorrow.
To get you ready, here are the honorable mentions who just missed out on the rankings.
Apr 24, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; A view of the Detroit Tigers logo on the on deck circle at Comerica Park. The Indians won 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Arvicent Perez
Age: 22Position: Catcher
While James McCann is undoubtedly the Detroit Tigers catcher of the future, the team could use some depth behind him over the long haul.
John Hicks looks like a potential piece, but outside of the 27-year-old and Grayson Greiner, Detroit’s next best backstop prospect may be Arvicent Perez.
In 74 games with West Michigan, the 22-year-old hit an impressive .303 while contributing 30 RBI, 28 runs scored and 20 extra-base hits in 74 games.
Perez didn’t draw many walks (seven), but he didn’t strike out all that much either.
Over the span of 290 at-bats, the catcher went down on strikes only 36 times.
A.J. Simcox
Age: 22Position: Shortstop
A college teammate of Christin Stewart, Simcox played with the slugging outfielder at Lakeland this season.
While the shortstop doesn’t have the power of his fellow prospect, he did turn in a solid season for the Flying Tigers in 2016.
Logging 527 at-bats in 127 games, Simcox hit .262 with 51 RBI, 19 doubles, seven stolen bases, five home runs, and five triples.
A solid defender, the Tennessee product’s on-base percentage slipped from .367 in his first season to .298 last year. He’ll need to draw more walks moving forward.
Aug 20, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers hat and glove in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel Pinero
Age: 22Position: Shortstop
Similar to catcher, the Detroit Tigers don’t have too much shortstop depth. Young prospect Hector Martinez has shown plenty of promise in the low minors, but he’s years away from the Majors at this point.
Outside of Simcox and the team’s incumbent options at the Major League level, Pinero is the best prospect in terms of being close to the majors.
A ninth-round pick in 2016, the towering 6’5” shortstop hit .271 in his first taste of professional baseball.
The Toronto native also added 26 runs scored, 22 RBI, eight doubles, two home runs, two stolen bases and a triple.
What is perhaps most encouraging is that the 22-year-old drew almost as many walks (29) as strikeouts (30).
Joe Navilhon
Age: 23Position: Relief Pitcher
Generally, recent 21st-round draft picks don’t tend to show up so soon on team’s lists of top prospects. However, Navilhon posted an extremely promising first professional season.
In 16 appearances with Connecticut in the New York-Penn League, the right-hander led the leagues with a sparkling 0.34 ERA in 26.1 innings.
What’s more, the reliever also added 29 strikeouts compared to just seven walks.
That spits out to 9.9 strikeouts and only 2.4 walks per nine frames. Navilhon’s strikeout rate ended up tying for 12th in the league.
Jun 25, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; General view during the sixth inning of the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Dominic Ficociello
Age: 24Position: Utility Player
After a solid season with Double-A Erie in 2016, Ficociello was invited to Major League Spring Training by the Tigers.
The former 12th-round pick is capable of playing first base, second base and third base. Just last season with the SeaWolves, the prospect started receiving playing time in left field.
His offensive numbers—90 wRC+, .677 OPS, 38 RBI, 29 extra-base hits and five stolen bases in 123 games—don’t jump off the page, but Ficociello’s defensive flexibility should eventually help him reach the Majors.
Kevin Ziomek
Age: 24Position: Starting Pitcher
Had it not been for a shoulder surgery in 2016, Kevin Ziomek would likely rank highly on our rankings of Tigers prospects.
The former second-round pick turned in a 3.43 ERA and 8.3 punch outs per nine frames in 2015 with Lakeland.
He was limited to just one start last season due to the injury after logging 154.2 innings the season before.
A healthy campaign will go a long ways for the 24-year-old, who turned in a 2.27 ERA and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 2014. Ziomek also totaled 123 frames with West Michigan during the campaign.
Should the starter rebound in 2017, he could very well rank significantly higher in the 2018 edition of MCB’s prospect list.
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