The Detroit Tigers are desperately trying to climb back into the ranks of competitive MLB teams, and according to both major prospect lists that came out last week, the organization is on the right track with pitching.
Both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline released their top 100 prospect rankings last week. BA has five Tigers players in the top 100 — Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Tarik Skubal, Riley Greene and Isaac Paredes — while MLB excluded Paredes.
Top 100 lists
MLB Pipeline believes the Tigers have the best pitching in the minors, ranking Mize as the No. 7 overall prospect, Manning No. 24 and Skubal No. 46. The Tampa Bay Rays — the only other team with three pitchers ranked in the top 100 — have Brendan McKay at No. 15, Shane Baz at No. 90 and Brent Honeywell at No. 91.
Obviously, MLB Pipeline believes the Tigers have the best high-end pitchers in the minors. Baseball America doesn’t quite agree, though.
While the Tigers have three players ranked in the top 40 — Mize at No. 13, Manning at No. 17 and Skubal at No. 34 — the Rays have five pitchers ranked in BA’s top 100. McKay tops the group at No. 14, with Baz at No. 71, Honeywell at No. 80, Shane McClanahan at No. 83 and Joe Ryan at No. 98.
MORE: Tigers land five prospects in Baseball America’s preseason top 100
Detroit has three pitchers ranked well ahead of Tampa Bay’s second-highest pitching prospect, but the sheer number of top prospects gives the Rays an edge.
Beyond that, though, no other team can really challenge the Tigers.
San Diego, Toronto, Oakland, Miami, Baltimore, Atlanta, Seattle, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Minnesota, the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers each have two pitching prospects in MLB Pipeline’s top 100. San Francisco, Houston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and both Chicago teams each have one pitching prospect ranked.
Baseball America definitely went pitcher heavy in its rankings. After the Ray’s mark of five ranked pitching prospects, the Tigers, Padres, Dodgers and Twins each have three.
The Padres, like the Tigers, have two pitching prospects ranked in the top 20 of BA’s list and the top 30 of MLB Pipeline’s list.
If you just look at the top 100 lists, it’s clear the Tigers have one of the two best arsenals of pitching talent in baseball.
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Source: Detroit Tigers have more minor league pitching talent than any other team, except one
