Detroit Tigers Top 30 Prospects For Dynasty Leagues

As we continue our Top 30 Organizational Prospect Rankings, the last stop in the AL Central is the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers have been drafting and bringing up “homegrown” prospects to fill roles on their team over the last few seasons. We have seen Skubal, Mize, Manning, Greene, and Torkelson all make their major league debuts and implant themselves into the Tiger’s future. We are going to dive into the Tiger’s top 30 prospects to target in your dynasty leagues. Let us dive in!

Top 10 Tigers Prospects

Colt Keith, 3B/2B

(126 GP, .306/.380/.552, 27 HR, 88 R, 101 RBI, 3 SB)

Drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 shortened draft out of high school Colt Keith has been on a rocket up through Detroit’s system. During the 2023 season, Keith ascended two levels starting in Double-A Erie. Over 59 games, Keith slashed .325/.391/.585 with 14 home runs, 43 runs scored, 50 RBIs, and two stolen bases with a 9.1% walk percentage and a 22.8% strikeout rate.

📝🚀DET 2B/3B Colt Keith has been on fire this season in Erie and now up with Toledo. In 66 GP Keith has a .336/.402/.598 slash with 16 HR, 49 R, 57 RBI, and 3 SB. If he keeps this up the 21 year old could be in the majors by season’s end! #repdetroit @coltkeith3 @Fantrax https://t.co/vCnvb5NFmo

— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) July 5, 2023

The Tigers promoted Colt Keith to Triple-A Toledo to finish the season. In 67 games with the Mud Hens, Keith slashed .287/.369/.521 with 13 home runs, 45 runs scored, 51 RBIs, and one stolen base. Keith continued to demonstrate excellent pitch recognition skills, walking 11.6% while striking out 19.3% in 301 plate appearances. For dynasty managers Colt Keith could be a corner piece in their franchises. Still just 20 years old it’s easy to project 30-plus home runs at the major league level with excellent OBP skills.

Max Clark, OF

(23 GP, .224/.383/.377, 2 HR, 18 R, 19 RBI, 5 SB)

Selected in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft out of high school, Max Clark looked like an advanced hitter who could move through the Tigers system quickly. After being drafted, Clark started his professional career in the complex league where he slashed .283/.411/.543 with two home runs, 13 runs scored, 12 RBIs, and four stolen bases. Clark displayed the advanced eye at the plate that scouts touted before the draft, walking 16.1% while striking out just 17.9% in 56 plate appearances.

📝🏃OF Max Clark is one of the most advanced high school bats I’ve seen. Pairing excellent bat to ball skills and plus speed Clark is an exciting prospect coming out of Indiana and should be selected in the top 10 of this seasons MLB draft! @maxxclarkk13 @Fantrax @WeeklyStreamer https://t.co/buZTzXS1K3

— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) May 19, 2023

The Tigers promoted Clark to Low-A to finish the season. In 11 games played Clark slashed just .154/.353/.179 with five runs scored, seven RBIs, and one stolen base. In his 51 plate appearances and continued to walk for a high percentage at 23.5% but the strikeouts climbed to 29.4%. Max Clark should start the season back in Low-A in 2024 and would not surprise me if he pushes an additional level or two by the end of the season.

Justyn-Henry Malloy, 3B/OF

(135 GP, .277/.417/.474, 23 HR, 89 R, 83 RBI, 5 SB)

Last season was Justyn-Henry Malloy’s first full season with the Tigers after coming over via trade from the Braves. Malloy played the entire season in Triple-A Toledo where the 23-year-old slashed .277/.417/.474 with 23 home runs, 89 runs scored, 83 RBIs, and stole five bases in 135 games. In addition to the big power on display, Malloy displayed an advanced eye at the plate, walking at 18% while striking out at 24.9%; a career norm for him.

👀 Justyn-Henry Malloy with a double in +A Greensboro. ⚾️ #BaseBall #mustbethehawk #Braves @Braves @TheRomeBraves @WeeklyStreamer pic.twitter.com/S0bGYMRNUo

— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) April 9, 2022

For dynasty purposes, Malloy is a solid prospect to have in your systems as he has played at third base and outfield and could see time at both in the majors. Paired with a solid batting average, OBP, and power Malloy is an extremely intriguing prospect.

Jace Jung, 2B/3B

(128 GP, .265/.376/.502, 28 HR, 74 R, 82 RBI, 5 SB)

The brother of Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung, Jace has impressed since being drafted in the first round out of Texas Tech in 2022. The former Red Raider started the season in High-A where he slashed .254/.377/.465 with 14 home runs, 46 runs scored, 43 RBIs, and five stolen bases in 81 games played. In 366 plate appearances, Jung walked 15.3% while only striking out 22.7% of the time.

🏜️🌵DET 2B Jace Jung had a 💪 first full season with the Tigers. In 128 combined games at A+ and AA he had

• .376 OBP
• .502 SLG
• 28 HR
• 82 RBI

Jung is getting reps at third base in the @MLBazFallLeague making him a must watch going into 2024. @jace17jung @Fantrax https://t.co/ldC4EZD3Ng

— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) October 23, 2023

The Tigers promoted Jace Jung to Double-A Erie where in 47 games Jung slashed .284/.373/.563 with 14 home runs and 39 RBIs. Jung’s strikeout rate climbed a bit to 26.8% after the jump to Erie but he continued to walk 11% of the time. Detroit then sent Jung to the Arizona Fall League where he slashed just .200/.385/.300 with one home run, nine runs scored and four stolen bases in 15 games played. To me, Jace Jung reminds me a lot of Brian Dozier an infielder who could have 30 home runs seasons with solid OBP.

Jackson Jobe, RHP

(16 GS, 64 IP, 84 K, 11.8 K/9, 2.81 ERA, 0.984 WHIP)

Drafted third overall in the 2021 MLB draft out of high school Jackson Jobe had three potential plus pitches right out of the gate. Jobe’s mid to high 90s fastball has seen an increase over the last two seasons and sets up the low 80s slider that has high spin rates and is accepted as his best pitch. His 82 mph change-up flashes plus at times with a strong sinking motion late. Jobe moved through the system in 2023 climbing four levels but playing the most in High-A. In eight starts with the West Michigan Whitecaps Jobe had a 12.15 K/9 in 40 innings pitch with a .248 average against and finished with a 3.60 ERA.

Jackson Jobe finished the regular season with one game at Double-A Erie before heading off to the Arizona Fall League. With the Salt River Rafters Jobe struck out 19 over 15.2 innings pitched (10.9 K/9) with a 2.87 ERA across four starts. For dynasty managers Jackson Jobe profiles as a SP 2 long-term if he can continue to keep the walks low and continue to have double-digit strikeout rates.

Kevin McGonigle, SS/2B

(21 GP, .315/.452/.411, 1 HR, 18 R, 6 RBI, 8 SB)

Kevin McGonigle is an advanced high school bat who showed excellent bat-to-ball skills leading up to the draft and was selected in the competitive balance round at 37th overall in 2023 by the Tigers. Detroit sent their young bat to complex ball for nine games where he slashed .273/.467/.333 with 11 runs scored and had six stolen bases. The 18-year-old showed patience at the plate walking 11 times in 45 plate appearances.

Once promoted to Low-A McGonigle continued to hit slashing .350/.438/.475 with one home run, seven runs scored, five RBIs, and two stolen bases in 12 games played. Kevin McGonigle walked 14.6% of the time while only striking out 10.4% in 48 plate appearances with the Lakeland Flying Tigers. This is a prospect that I believe will bat for a high average with good OBP but might flirt with a 15 home run, 20 stolen base season on occasion. At only 19 there is still room for power so that could change, we will have to see how he does in 2024.

Ty Madden, RHP

(26 GP, 25 GS, 118 IP, 146 K, 11.1 K/9, 3.43 ERA, 1.280 WHIP)

Former Texas Longhorn Ty Madden was solid this season playing the entire year in Double-A Erie. Across 26 appearances (25 starts) Madden struck out 146 batters in 118 innings pitched (11.14 K/9) with a .231 average against and finished with a 3.43 ERA. Madden had a spike in the walks in 2023 jumping to a 3.81 BB/9 over the 3.03 he had at Erie the year prior.

Ty Madden relies heavily on his 95-96 mph fastball and 84-85 mph slider. The change-up is a work in progress for Madden as it has its best effect when the fastball and slider are at their best. To me, this is a solid SP 3 profile and has the potential to be a low-end SP 2 if the change-up gets better in 2024.

Wilmer Flores, RHP

(21 GS, 89 IP, 90 K, 9.1 K/9, 4.65 ERA, 1.315 WHIP)

The 2023 season might be one that Wilmer Flores and the Tigers want to take back. The 22-year-old started the season off rough repeating Double-A for Flores but he was able to turn it back around as the season dragged on. Across 18 starts with the Sea Wolves Flores struck out 82 batters in 80.2 innings pitched (9.15 K/9) with a .238 average against and finished with a 3.90 ERA. The walks were an issue for Flores in 2023 as he had a 3.57 BB/9 up from a 2.26 BB/9 at the same level in 2022.

Wilmer Flores features a low-90s fastball that he locates well and pairs well with the high-70s curveball that profiles as a plus pitch with an excellent downward beak. During the 2022 season, Flores scrapped the change-up for a refined cutter that sits in the mid-80s but brought back the change-up late this past season. If Flores can get the change up to be at least an average offering I believe Flores could stick as a back-end starter for the Tigers. With him relying on off-speed pitches to be effective and get strikeouts I can’t see him being a front-line starter for dynasty purposes.

Hao-Yu Lee, 2B/SS/3B

(75 GP, .273/.362/.399, 6 HR, 40 R, 32 RBI, 16 SB)

Coming over at the trade deadline from the Phillies Hao-Yu Lee put together an impressive season with High-A Jersey Shore. Across 64 games played Lee slashed .283/.372/.401 with five home runs, 35 runs scored, 26 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. Lee showed excellent plate discipline walking 10.2% while striking out only 18.6% of his 285 plate appearances.

Hao-Yu Lee only played eight games with the West Michigan Whitecaps slashing .214/.313/.429. For Dynasty Lee profiles as a bat-first infielder that could be a super-utility type at the major league level. I don’t see Lee hitting for more than 15 home runs in the Tigers home ballpark of Comerica Park.

Justice Bigbie, 1B/3B/OF

(115 GP, .343/.405/.537, 19 HR, 81 R, 78 RBI, 6 SB)

One of the biggest risers over the last two seasons in the Tigers organization has got to be Justice Bigbie. The 24-year-old Bigbie played at three levels in 2023 starting in High-A West Michigan where he slashed .333/.400/.543 with six home runs, 27 RBIs, and one stolen base in 37 games played. The Tigers then promoted Bigbie to Double-A Erie where he slashed .362/.421/.564 with 12 home runs, 51 runs scored, 43 RBIs, and five stolen bases in 63 games played. Bigbie showed an excellent eye at the plate walking 8.1% while only striking out 12.5% over 272 plate appearances.

The Tigers promoted Justice Bigbie to Triple-A Toledo to finish the season. In 15 games with the Mud Hens Bigbie slashed .275/.345/.392 with one home run and eight RBIs. With his time playing multiple positions, Justice Bigbie should be a target in deeper dynasty leagues as a player who could be up with Tigers in short order.

Top 30 Detroit Tigers Prospects Rankings