Top Tigers Prospects Who Could Contribute in 2026

We have reached the point in the offseason where your free agent wish list from November is now crumbled up next to the three other versions you made. Suddenly, that 35-year-old starting pitcher coming off surgery looks good, doesn’t he? Just not $15 million good, hopefully.

As the free agent market continues to thin, our focus turns towards different avenues to upgrade each team’s roster. Trades are always possible, but hard to predict. Bounce-back candidates and crossing your fingers that so-and-so will finally break out in year three? We’ve all been there.

But, as the saying goes, the unknown is undefeated. Yes, I’m talking about prospects. The 21-year-olds who will, without a doubt, fill all the holes and needs of your team that were missed in free agency. At least that’s the hope.

Fans often attach themselves to prospects, as they are typically the result of bad seasons leading to high picks. A trade of sorts, your pain and suffering for 162 games in exchange for talent that you might get to see in three years.

Today, I’m going to highlight the prospects in the Detroit Tigers system that could make an impact in 2026. Every name listed might not be a top-tier name you know well, but they will still have a chance to help the Tigers reach the postseason for the third straight season.

Pitchers Who Could Contribute

The Tigers’ one through four in the starting rotation are more or less set: Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, and Reese Olson. The fifth spot is a bit murky with Drew Anderson as an option, along with Troy Melton, who we saw briefly last season.

While the rotation will likely not feature many prospects, the bullpen could see a few. I wouldn’t say there’s a headliner in the group that will immediately be inserted into leverage innings, but call-ups throughout the season are very much in play.

*Troy Melton and Dylan Smith are not included due to their debuts last season.

Jake Miller – LHP – SP – AA

2025 Stats: 20 IP, 1.80 ERA, 2.48 FIP, 9.45 K/9, 1.80 BB/9

Just Baseball’s Organization Rank: 11

If you watch Jake Miller pitch, you will quickly understand why I think he can help the Tigers in 2026. The 6-foot-2, eighth-round pick from 2022 comes with a four-pitch mix, all of which are solid but unspectacular. Miller hides the ball well and attacks the plate from a lower slot with a motion to get on hitters quickly.

His fastball is more movement over velocity, with a slider that is good enough to help generate strikeouts. His changeup helps neutralize righties and has enough movement to generate whiffs and eliminate dangerous splints against righties.

If you haven’t seen Miller pitch, it’s probably because he’s mostly been injured, only throwing 157 innings since being drafted. However, his 3.66 ERA across those innings shows his promise. If he can get off to a healthy start and build up his workload, we could be looking at another fifth starter option.

Miller was added to the 40-man roster before the December Rule 5 draft, making him an early option for a call-up. His elite command and better-than-average stuff should help him stick as a rotation option and not push him to the bullpen.

Andrew Sears – LHP – RP – AA

2025 Stats: 111 IP, 3.49 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 9.97 K/9, 2.92 BB/9

Just Baseball’s Organization Rank: 14

Since being selected in the 10th round in 2023, Andrew Sears has steadily worked his way through the minors and has started to make a name for himself. He caught my eye in 2024 while I was watching a White Caps (Single-A) game due to his funky delivery and unique arm angle that batters clearly struggled to pick up.

In 2025, Sears followed his Single-A success with a 2.95 ERA in High-A before finishing the season with six starts in Double-A, pitching to a 5.02 ERA, 3.36 FIP.

Although Sears has been used as a starter, I see his future out of the bullpen. He’s a heavy fastball/slider pitcher that relies on his funky movement and delivery paired with plus control to make up for modest velocity.

The bullpen often carries three lefties, and that could be the case again in 2026. Tyler Holt, Brant Hurter, and who? Bailey Horn? Drew Sommers? A non-roster invitee? The path for Sears to see innings is clear: work your way to Triple-A, show you can get lefties out consistently, and earn a call-up.

Others: Garrett Burhenn (SP), Jaden Hamm (SP), Joseph Montalvo (SP/RP)

Jaden Hamm is the most recognizable name, as his 2024 breakout landed him in top 100 discussions. Well, 2025 removed him from those conversations, as walks became more of an issue and his ERA ballooned to 4.70. He’s still an interesting prospect, but one who will need to prove more in the upper minors to be considered for a call-up.

Montalvo, to me, is more reliever than starter. Perhaps a move to the bullpen could help his slider and fastball play off each other better to generate more swing and miss.

Burhenn might also eventually land in the bullpen, but the big-bodied righty with plus command and a plus slider could still develop into a back-end innings eater.

Infielders / Catchers Who Could Contribute

All offseason, the discussion has centered around who could fill third base. Every possible outside-the-organization player has been considered at length, but the longer we wait, the more likely the hole is filled from within.

The Tigers also added two catchers, Thayron Liranzo and Eduardo Valencia, to their 40-man roster in order to protect them from the Rule 5 draft. With Dillion Dinger and Jake Rogers on the roster, an Opening Day path is not there, but I’m sure we’ll see one of the two this season.

Kevin McGonigle – SS/2B – AA

2025 Stats: .305/.408/.582, 19 HR, 10 SB, 182 wRC+

Just Baseball’s Organization Rank: 1

Just Baseball’s Top 100 Rank: 2

By now, you know all about Kevin McGonigle, the consensus top-five prospect in all of baseball. “The best pure hitter in the minor leagues” is how our own Aram Leighton describes him. Elite barrel control that covers all areas of the zone well with enough pop to bring power to the Tigers’ lineup.

McGonigle already looks advanced for his age. Pitch recognition comes easy, and his ability to hit to all fields makes him a difficult at-bat every single time. Oh yeah, he also posted a 92 mph average exit velocity in 2025. There are few holes in his offensive game, but the defense needs some work.

McGonigle’s no slouch defensively, but he is limited for a shortstop. I think he could play an average shortstop in 2026 and maybe move to second in the future. If this is the case, McGonigle’s roster spot is easy – play him at short and make Javier Báez and McKinstry utility bench pieces and platoon options.

Scott Harris has had two high-end prospects debut during his tenure: Colt Keith and Jackson Jobe. Neither was held back to manipulate his service time. Considering McGonigle has only played 46 games above Single-A, I do think he starts in the minors, but not because of service time. I’m sure he’ll be up quickly if minor league pitching still looks this easy for him.

Hao-Yu Lee – 2B/3B – AAA

2025 Stats: .243/.342/.406, 14 HR, 22 SB, 106 wRC+

Just Baseball’s Organization Rank: 8

Since being acquired from Philadelphia at the 2023 deadline for Michael Lorenzen, Lee has been one of the more consistent hitters in the Tigers’ upper minors. Lee is one of those players who does not excel in any one area, but is good enough across the board to become a major leaguer.

The Tigers organization really likes Lee, and I’m sure his eye for the zone and above-average plate discipline play a role in that. He’s shown an ability to hit lefties well (.919 OPS in ’25) and could carve out a platoon role with Colt Keith if Keith does not take another step forward.

A short side platoon is something we have seen the Tigers value in Andy Ibáñez and Jahmai Jones the past few seasons. Lee offers more on the basepaths but less defensively. He’s fine at second but is still learning the intricacies at third. Perhaps this offseason’s focus has been on becoming more versatile and improving defensively.

Max Anderson – 2B/3B – AAA

2025 Stats: .296/.350/.478, 19 HR, 3 SB, 135 wRC+

Just Baseball’s Organization Rank: 9

A lot of what I said about Lee can be applied to Anderson. A 2B/3B who is better at second, not a great defender overall, and his path to the roster is as a short-side platoon bat. A 2025 breakout player, Anderson finally started to pull the ball more, which really started to display his power potential.

An above-average hit tool combined with blossoming power makes Anderson a fun player to track going forward. Considering his limitations defensively and the team’s infield depth, I would not be surprised to see Anderson get reps in left field in the minors. If he’s able to become slightly more versatile, it would help his chances of making the club at some point this season.

Eduardo Valencia – C/1B – AAA

2025 Stats: .311/.382/.559, 24 HR, 159 wRC+

Just Baseball’s Organization Rank: 16

I don’t think there was a bigger breakout in the Tigers’ minor league system in 2025 than Eduardo Valencia. He’s been with the organization since 2018 and was previously viewed as more of an “org guy” or depth option to fill in across multiple levels. Not much of a prospect.

Well, that all changed after his 2025 season. Valencia was quickly added to the 40-man roster, and if the power uptick is real, he could work his way into a back-up catcher role while also providing depth at first. He hits the ball hard and made drastic improvements to his contact rate, but will ultimately need to prove these changes can stick.

I do think he’s above Liranzo on the depth chart ahead of the 2026 season. Not because his ceiling is higher, but because Liranzo has more work to be done refining his game and defense behind the plate.

Outfielders Who Could Contribute

Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter have cemented themselves as options in the outfield. Parker Meadows will get another chance, while Wenceel Pérez, Matt Vierling, and Jahmai Jones have proved to be useful depth. Hell, throw Báez in the mix, as well.

The only non-injury path to consistent playing time will be in center. Meadows doesn’t have to tear the cover off the ball but will need to show he can stay healthy and flirt with a 90-100 wRC+ to bring value. Of course, the Tigers also have a top prospect who happens to play center.

Max Clark – CF – AA

2025 Stats: .271/.403/.432, 14 HR, 19 SB, 148 wRC+

Just Baseball’s Organization Rank: 2

Just Baseball’s Top 100 Rank: 10

The first word that comes to mind when thinking about Clark is athlete. With plus speed, arm, and range, Clark’s athletic ability drives his name up prospect lists. A plus contact rate and elite eye for the zone, paired with his defense and speed, give him a high floor while also maintaining a high ceiling.

Clark’s power is not going to stand out, but he makes enough quality contact to reasonably think there’s more power to grow into. I think he’ll land as more of a gap hitter who racks up extra base hits and gives the Tigers more stolen bases while stealing outs defensively – and doing so with some moxie.

There’s little doubt in my mind that Clark will be a productive major leaguer. I just don’t know how soon it will come.

Like McGonigle, Clark has only had a sip of the upper minors and will likely return to the minors before joining the Tigers. If injuries continue to plague Vierling and Meadows, or neither grabs hold of the center field job, Clark could be a second-half spark plug to the lineup.

Trei Cruz – UTL – AAA

2025 Stats: .279/.411/.456, 13 HR, 17 SB, 149 wRC+

Just Baseball’s Organization Rank: Honorable Mention

Like Valencia, Cruz was a major breakout in 2025. Moderate success through his first few years held him down in Double-A longer than most prospects. Once he got his first taste of Triple-A, the hitting didn’t stop. A .284/.423/.458 slash across 58 games with Toledo led to him also being added to the 40-man roster in December.

Cruz is an older prospect who will turn 28 during the season, which is the same age at which Zach McKinstry really saw his career get established. I envision a similar role to the one McKinstry had when he joined the Tigers. A bench bat that can play all over, with Cruz also offering switch-hitting abilities.

Cruz has drawn walks at an elite clip throughout the minors, and we know how much this organization values the strike zone. I don’t know how real the changes he made in 2025 were, but I’m excited to find out. Expect Cruz to be bouncing between Toledo and Detroit a lot this season.

Others: Ben Malgeri, Seth Stephenson, Brett Callahan

All three of these names lack the total package and come with enough reservations to keep them off the Tigers’ top prospects list. However, they have shown an ability to hit, albeit at the Double-A level, and are worth mentioning.

Stephenson is a contact-oriented speedster who stole 49 bags last season and will provide depth in the minors. Malgeri comes with more power and showed well in Double-A. He’s one of those players people do not talk about but who could land on the roster if enough injuries happen.

Callahan has had injuries hold him back and will still need to work through the upper minors, but perhaps he has the highest prospect upside of the three. All had above a 120 wRC+ in 2025.

Final Thoughts

The Tigers’ farm system has changed a lot since Scott Harris took over. Not only has the high-end talent tracked well, but the depth is notably better thanks to drafting and development improvements.

They need to do some work on the pitching side of things, but no system is perfect. Think about how many breakouts we have seen, non-prospects turning into prospects, and the top guys not faltering off. All signs of a good system being in place.

Although the Tigers have not had the offseason you and I would have hoped for, I do believe McGonigle and Clark can be impactful players in 2026. Do I want to count on 21-year-olds to improve the team? Of course not. But having two top-10 prospects knocking on the door isn’t too bad, either.