The Detroit Tigers recently saw their season come to an end with a walk-off loss to the Seattle Mariners in Game 5 of the American League Division Series. The team overcame a September collapse to clinch the third Wild Card spot and knock out the Cleveland Guardians in the first round.
As the postseason continues, the Tigers have a bright future, with one of the top ranked farm systems in all of Major League Baseball. Several of their top prospects are taking part in the Arizona Fall League.
No. 9 prospect Max Anderson has suited up for the Scottsdale Scorpions this fall, and on Sunday, he had a performance to remember, hitting his third home run of the AFL season.
Anderson was Detroit's second round pick in 2023. They selected him out of the University of Nebraska.
He ascended all the way to Triple-A Toledo this season. In 122 games in Double-A and Triple-A, the 23-year-old infielder hit .296/.350/.478 with 19 home runs, 88 RBI, 241 total bases and an .828 OPS.
He has played only five games thus far in the AFL, but has put together some solid numbers, hitting .563/.720/1.313 with seven RBI and a 2.033 OPS.
The Tigers have several prospects taking part in the AFL this year, and Anderson is one that has put together some great performances, punctuated by his breakout performance on Sunday night. Detroit certainly has to feel good about what they saw from Anderson.
Both he and Tigers top prospect Kevin McGonigle were in the starting lineup for the Scorpions on Sunday. Anderson also walked three times, scored two runs and stole a base in the Scorpions' 15-4 blowout win over the Surprise Saguaros.
The future is bright in Detroit, and Anderson showed why with his towering home run. The Tigers have a solid big-league club, but the future will be in good hands when some of their prospects graduate to the Major Leagues.
Perhaps the AFL can serve as a springboard for Anderson to build some momentum heading into 2026 and potentially even crack the MLB roster at some point during the year.
The Tigers should be impressed by what they have seen so far, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep up his dominance in the AFL and finish 2025 strong.
More MiLB: White Sox No. 5 Prospect Continues To Shine In Arizona Fall League
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