Three Tigers Prospects Rank Among Top 50 Prospects in Major League Baseball

Roughly two months into the season, ESPN has adjusted its rankings for the Top 50 prospects in baseball. The Detroit Tigers had three selected.

This lines up with how both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline look at these three Tigers prospects.

Baseball America ranks shortstop Kevin McGonigle at No. 15, outfielder Max Clark at No. 19 and shortstop Bryce Rainer at No. 42. MLB Pipeline has Clark at No. 7, McGonigle at No. 26 and Rainer at No. 47.

Where did ESPN Rank Detroit Tigers’ Top 50 prospects?

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel ranks the Top 50 a bit differently than the other two sites. He uses a Future Value tier system, which is designed to project those prospects’ performance in the Majors.

He also pointed out that one Tigers prospect, pitcher Jackson Jobe, graduated from the rankings based on innings pitched for his career. Jobe was universally considered Detroit’s top prospect and ESPN ranked him at No. 7 in the preseason.  

Per ESPN, Clark is now the organization’s top prospect and ranked No. 8 overall. McDaniel likes Clark’s overall profile.

“Clark is a plus-plus runner who is a definite center fielder and has solid-average raw power, but his hit tool and approach are plus,” he wrote.

Clark was taken No. 3 overall in 2023 out of Franklin Community High School in Franklin, Ind. He is at High-A West Michigan and the 20-year-old is pushing for a promotion to Double-A Erie. Through his first 33 games this season he slashed .289/.425/.406 with three home runs and 24 RBI. He’s on track to better last year’s power numbers of nine home runs and 75 RBI in 107 games.

McGonigle wasn’t far behind at No. 11. McDaniel grouped him with Seattle shortstop prospect Cole Emerson, pointing out that both were taken in 2023, with McGonigle going No. 37 overall. He is also at West Michigan but missed time due to an ankle injury in the season opener.

In seven games he slashed .273/.360/.455 with four RBI. McDaniel projects both Emerson and McGonigle will probably be better suited for second base.

“They are plus hitters with a good approach and above-average raw power projections, along with some feel to get to it in games,” he wrote.

Both Clark and McGonigle check in on the 60 FV tier, the highest tier in the rankings.

Rainer is the youngest of the three and checked in at No. 22, which is on the 55 FV tier. McDaniel wrote that Rainer is an “up arrow” prospect that has shown unexpected power for a 19-year-old in his first year of pro baseball.

He was last year’s first-round pick and with Class-A Lakeland he has slashed .256/.374/.407 with three home runs and 14 RBI in his first 25 games.