Bless You Boys: All Posts by Trevor HoothA detailed list of nope about the Detroit Tigershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47585/default.png2023-08-02T10:30:00-04:00https://www.blessyouboys.com/authors/trevor-hooth/rss2023-08-02T10:30:00-04:002023-08-02T10:30:00-04:00Video Breakdown: Newest Tiger Hao-Yu Lee fits the Scott Harris mold
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<p>Detroit lands an interesting infield prospect for Michael Lorenzen.</p> <p id="xqenpB">The first domino, ultimately the only domino, to fall for the <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> at the trade deadline was sending Michael Lorenzen to the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> for infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee. </p>
<p id="vbUnqD">In a sellers market, this trade seems slightly underwhelming at face value. However, if this was the market, Harris decided to go with a 1-for-1 deal to maximize the tier of prospect he could get in return. </p>
<p id="wFj57s">Lee was Philadelphia’s fifth ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. The Phillies signed the now 20-year-old infielder out of Taiwan in 2021. He’s progressed his way up to High-A where he hit .283 with five homeruns and 14 stolen bases in 247 at bats. He also posted a walk rate of 10.2 percent to match a strikeout rate of 18.2 percent, showing the exact plate discipline that Harris has outwardly stated he wants to add into the Tigers organization. </p>
<p id="vogFdp">Diving into video confirms a lot of what the Tigers would have liked in Lee based on what the surface level numbers say.</p>
<h3 id="dcBOTg">Video Breakdown</h3>
<p id="H81UTq">Looking at previous trade acquisitions in the Scott Harris era, such as Justyn-Henry Malloy, they covet the ability to control the strike zone. That’s Lee’s biggest strength at the plate. To do that, a player must have a very good knowledge of the zone while they’re at the plate. The next step is not chasing pitches out of the zone. Lee checks both of those boxes. He’ll rarely chase pitches out of the zone and he’s very patient. He has no issues waiting for pitches to come to him. </p>
<p id="s10Xrg">Another attribute that leads into controlling the zone is his ability to adjust his hands. Lee does a very good job keeping his hands back to allow him to make contact when he reads fastball, but an offspeed pitch is what's thrown. Many times, this results in either a foul ball or he muscles the ball through the infield. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lee fooled by a 2-strike breaking ball stays back and wills this grounder into the outfield for a single <a href="https://t.co/SoXXCpuK3h">pic.twitter.com/SoXXCpuK3h</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1686467557513965569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2023</a>
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<p id="Q96F5r">It seems like Lee takes an approach where he focuses on spraying the ball to the opposite field. That’s part of what allows him to adjust and pull the ball through the infield. But it’s not exactly a slap hitter approach at the plate, as an opposite field approach might suggest. </p>
<p id="PtFV55">There’s decent pop at present, and he can access it to the opposite field extremely well. The first couple extra base hits I saw when diving into the video for Lee were to right field, including a homerun. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Newest Tiger Hao-Yu Lee hitting an opposite field homerun. He has a good feel for the zone and that stands out early on. Showing some oppo pop here. <a href="https://t.co/vNVlkp1ZmN">pic.twitter.com/vNVlkp1ZmN</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1686463876789833728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2023</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A walkoff to the wall and another ball driven to the opposite field for Lee <a href="https://t.co/KkItBmY9OF">pic.twitter.com/KkItBmY9OF</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1686469679496261632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2023</a>
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<p id="UWlD8J">His ability to drive the ball to the opposite field is extremely encouraging, especially considering he’s only 20-years-old. Having that skill already present is a very good building block for future development. </p>
<p id="MWXNtP">Right now Lee is a line drive hitter. The Tigers might want to adjust his swing to add more lift, but that will be seen once they start working with him. He has a pretty even balance of ground balls and fly balls, so perhaps that’s less important that learning to tap into his pull side power more often. As of now, Lee will spray line drives all over the field. That’s where most of his hits to the pull side come in. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lee starts this game off by lining the first pitch to center the hustling in for a double <a href="https://t.co/pFyrfdQ9N2">pic.twitter.com/pFyrfdQ9N2</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1686471866620194816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2023</a>
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<p id="r0FG07">From what I’ve seen, he shows more pop to the opposite field than he does to his pull side. That’s abnormal, especially for younger prospects. It shows an ability to control his barrel, which is good, however it does leave something to be desired. Getting to that power more when he pulls the ball is one of the few critiques that came up while digging into his at bats. </p>
<p id="yBlhpF">That becomes even more true when there’s video evidence that he can crush the ball when he goes to his pull side. There’s more raw power here waiting to be unlocked.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hao Yu Lee's first BlueClaws Home Run - he CRUSHES this one into the Chick-fil-A Fan Zone! <a href="https://t.co/kyHsolPZZd">pic.twitter.com/kyHsolPZZd</a></p>— Jersey Shore BlueClaws (@BlueClaws) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueClaws/status/1563324495204560896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2022</a>
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<p id="8sPVdi">Power isn’t going to be his carrying tool at the plate, but the more power he can access the better off this trade will look. His skillset is going to be hitting the ball. He covers the zone really well with his bat and can get to just about anything thrown in the zone. Combined with a very good eye at the plate, that’s what the Tigers were trading for. </p>
<h3 id="JCl6Um">Player Profile</h3>
<p id="Q5IwLq">Chris Brown of Tigers Minor League Report says the profile draws similarities to recent Tigers draft pick Kevin McGonigle. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Haven’t watched much of Hao-Yu Lee, so take this with a grain of salt, but the scouting reports suggest a profile fairly similar to Kevin McGonigle, apart from Lee being a right-handed hitter. Seems like a pretty solid get for Lorenzen.</p>— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrown0914) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBrown0914/status/1686466394190225408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2023</a>
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<p id="dyV5fZ"><a href="https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/tigers-acquire-hao-yu-lee-in-trade-with-phillies-for-righthander-michael-lorenzen/">Baseball America</a> tabs Lee with a power over hit profile, which is encouraging. Should Lee pull the ball a bit more, that is a possible outcome. However at present I would disagree and believe he’s mostly in the bucket of gap power. The Tigers will have some interesting decisions to make with Lee’s development.</p>
<p id="ukGUTs">Defensively he’s likely a second baseman long term. While the Phillies let him play on the other side of the dirt, most evaluators seem to believe that won’t be his home in the big leagues. </p>
<p id="jeA689">His overall potential is an every day regular in the big leagues. He’s still young and can tap into a lot more, but right now he profiles as a bottom third of the order bat on a good team. That seems like a solid get for a rental pitcher. Lee is only 20-years-old, so there could be more to come. His hard contact has been on the upswing since recovering from a wrist injury last year. If the Tigers development team unlocks more of that power potential, things will loo</p>
<p id="R1lDMc">The team may choose to assign him to West Michigan so he can continue at his current competition level. With his skills at the plate, there’s a chance Detroit gets aggressive and assigns him to Erie off the bat. While that’s a longshot idea, I truly believe Lee could handle the assignment. </p>
<p id="7uqOp4">Once again, the new Tigers brass makes a trade and once again the receive a player who can control the plate. Lee doesn’t chase, draws walks, and can get his bat to the ball. At the surface it seems like an underwhelming trade in a sellers market, but diving into the video it seems like a very solid move. Time will tell, but credit Harris and the rest of his team for going after their guys. Lee’s profile falls right into the bucket of a Scott Harris guy.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2023/8/2/23816231/detroit-tigers-hao-yu-lee-michael-lorenzen-video-scouting-philadelphia-philliesTrevor Hooth2023-07-28T10:00:00-04:002023-07-28T10:00:00-04:00Tyler Mattison tosses 11 scoreless innings to start Double-A career
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<p>The Tigers righty pitching prospect could be the next big piece in the bullpen.</p> <p id="QCcNhj">Over the last several seasons the Detroit Tigers’ win-loss record has been less than ideal, but one thing they’ve been able to do is develop pitching — specifically relief pitching. Sometimes it meant refining what was already there, sometimes it meant pulling one out of thin air. </p>
<p id="bnOU3U">With each passing trade deadline, the Tigers tend to sell these relievers off for prospects in hopes of getting back to a competitive level. While they’re getting closer and closer, the relief pitching development is staying pretty consistent. One of the more intriguing relief prospects coming through the pipeline right now is Tyler Mattison.</p>
<p id="uwr7Pn">The Tigers used a fourth round pick in 2021 on the right-hander out of Bryant University. He made his pro debut in the spring of 2022, but a shoulder injury in that first appearance kept him out until June. He was effective in Lakeland when he returned, striking out 53 hitters in 39 <sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings of work.</p>
<p id="vS3cft">Mattison started the 2023 season in High-A West Michigan, where he struck out over 15 batters per nine while posting a 3.42 ERA in the process. He had a couple bouts of home runs trouble, but showed enough to earn a promotion to Double-A Erie where he’s started off with 11 scoreless innings while striking out 42.1 percent of batters faced, though his walk rate is also elevated. </p>
<p id="VpsAfi">His dominance and the Tigers penchant for developing bullpen arms makes Mattison an very interesting internal candidate to potentially fill a bullpen role within the next year or two. </p>
<p id="ulzuil">Much of this breakdown is based on this compilation video of his 11 Double-A innings, courtesy of our friends at Tigers Minor League Report.</p>
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<h3 id="WEbaoa">Pitcher Profile</h3>
<p id="JEnnRT">Mattison works with a fastball, curveball, and changeup. His fastball and curveball get the lion’s share of usage, but his changeup has excellent arm side run as well when he throws it. He works in the upper-90’s with velocity, sitting mostly between 95-97 MPH. His main secondary is that breaking ball that has very tight and quick north to south movement, and he can keep hitters off balance with a changeup. </p>
<p id="gh8CgB">Much of his confidence on the mound lies with his fastball, but hitters can’t just sit fastball first pitch because he’s liable to try and drop in a breaking ball. When he’s in a jam the heat is most likely coming. There’s a reason for that. It rides through the zone really nicely, particularly in the upper third. He also has a sinker variation, too. Both consistently generate a high number of whiffs.</p>
<p id="dMybuf">When he opts for the breaking ball, he can get whiffs breaking out of the zone, but there is some inconsistency in the release that leads to some hanging breaking balls, or just missing up with the pitch. Generally he won’t do that multiple times to a hitter, but as hitters get better it only takes one mistake. His 1.71 HR/9, while only in a 26 inning sample size in High-A, is evidence that he can get hit hard. </p>
<p id="muBjY6">His changeup runs quite a bit to his arm side, but it doesn’t get as much usage as the other two pitches. Mattison can change pace with the pitch, or just give a hitter a different look before going back to his regular fastball/curveball combo. </p>
<p id="lwa35G">There’s a very subtle potential tip in Mattison’s delivery at present. When he throws a fastball or changeup he will tap the ball into the glove at the top of the balance point, but when he throws a breaking ball he doesn’t do that. </p>
<p id="lA4eaj">As an example, here’s a fastball:</p>
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<p id="GnnJFD">Here is the same part of his delivery, but for a breaking ball:</p>
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<p id="xpuHPY">Again, it’s a subtle movement and it’s hard to see in those isolated GIFs. However, it’s there. Whether that is noticeable by hitters is another question. If it becomes an issue, then Mattison and the organization will have to quash it. Right now, it’s not affecting anything, so it’s nothing more than a tidbit of information. </p>
<p id="CafGSn">You can also get an idea of the deception in his arm action in these clips. He breaks his hands fairly low and then whips his arm up into a nearly over the top slot and release. Hitters tends to pick it up a little late as the ball appears almost from behind his head. It’s not a huge amount of deception, but as a reliever it does make him tricky to pick up initially.</p>
<h3 id="qKGCXb">Potential</h3>
<p id="tdMNLu">Mattison has a good starting point for the Tigers to build a solid reliever. He will keep living and dying by his fastball. The data backing and velocity give that pitch the edge it should need to be a viable pitch every step of the way. It’s effective and because of it, Mattison is effective. The more he can command it, the better he’s going to be, and he already does a pretty solid job of it.</p>
<p id="M8lUMe">What he’ll need to do is find consistency among his secondaries. His breaking pitch is working, and while its spin profile isn’t ideal, the Tigers should be able to tune him in a little more. He just needs to command it a little more consistently and ideally, throw it a bit harder with better extension. His changeup could be a weapon as well if he finds more confidence in it. In terms of projecting his future, that reliable secondary will be a big step. </p>
<p id="eFZtEo">The performance is in Mattison’s favor right now. His breaking ball might continue to play off the strength of his fastball, too. Right now seemingly no one can touch Mattison and that bodes well for an organization that continues to prove their ability to develop bullpen arms. </p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2023/7/28/23810058/detroit-tigers-tyler-mattison-relievers-mlb-prospect-pipelineTrevor Hooth2023-07-10T15:07:34-04:002023-07-10T15:07:34-04:00MLB Draft 2023: Detroit Tigers select 3B Carson Rucker in fourth round
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<p>It’s back to prep hitters once again for the Detroit Tigers drafting crew. </p> <p id="BTvmmv">The <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> continued their prep-heavy approach in the 2023 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB Draft</a> with the selection of 3B Carson Rucker in the fourth round. That means four of the first five picks under new ownership are from the high school ranks.</p>
<p id="HVFGOT">Rucker ranks 132nd among draft prospects for <a href="https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/carson-rucker-813620">MLB Pipeline</a>. He has a physical swing with a promise of power. His raw power is rated as a plus asset. While given average grades across the board on MLB Pipeline, he did post a plus run time while participating at a PBR showcase. </p>
<p id="rjy859">The Tigers will need to sign the 6-foot-2-inch, 195-pound infielder away from a Tennessee commitment. He does come from a baseball family, his older brother Jake was drafted by the <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Minnesota Twins</a> back in 2021. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">SS Carson Rucker (TN)<a href="https://twitter.com/Vol_Baseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Vol_Baseball</a> recruit<br><br>6-foot-2, 200 pounds<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Super60?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Super60</a> || <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLBDraft?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MLBDraft</a> <a href="https://t.co/QmzNT8LGlx">pic.twitter.com/QmzNT8LGlx</a></p>— Shooter Hunt (@ShooterHunt) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShooterHunt/status/1622276976122675200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2023</a>
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<p id="VRBs21">With five picks under their belt, it looks like prep bats might win the day. So far four of the picks are high school hitters, to go along with the lone high school pitcher, Paul Wilson. That means the top of this draft will provide an end-of-season spark to the lower minors as these players sign with the team.</p>
<p id="TdI85Q">Moving forward Rucker has the skills to remain at third. His carrying tool at the plate is power thanks to his long levers. That will also lead to swings and misses. He’ll likely get some time on the Complex to end this season to show what he can do in the professional ranks. If he performs, he might get a look at Single-A. It’s worth noting that Scott Harris has stated they want hitters who can control the zone, which may hint at another attribute for Rucker. </p>
<p id="yhyfPH">With all the high school picks early in the MLB Draft the new front office will have plenty of opportunity to put their development strategies in place and prove their chops in growing talent within the organization. </p>
<p id="jdzsRl">The Tigers have 16 more picks. Follow along on MLB.com.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2023/7/10/23790123/mlb-draft-2023-detroit-tigers-carson-rucker-fourth-roundTrevor Hooth2022-12-08T10:30:00-05:002022-12-08T10:30:00-05:00Video Room: Tigers acquire Justyn-Henry Malloy from Atlanta
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<p>Scott Harris told us what he values, and he certainly leaned into that profile in his first big move.</p> <p id="LIgyHq">The <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> first major transaction of the offseason was trading Joe Jiménez to the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> for Justyn-Henry Malloy and Jake Higginbotham. This adds another couple of prospects as the new front office begins retooling the organization to their philosophies of success. </p>
<p id="n7nuEu">Jiménez finally put it all together in 2022, grading out as one of the better relievers in the game. With only one year left until free agency, the choices were clear. Harris either had to extend him a multi-year deal, or work out a trade. Teams were hunting for the 27-year-old right-hander at July’s trade deadline, but a satisfactory deal was never reached with the Al Avila front office. Instead, maximizing Jiménez’s value in trade became Harris’ job, and it looks at first blush like he’s done a good job.</p>
<p id="YKP23w">Malloy is the big name in the Tigers return for Jiménez. After a strong breakout season, he grades as one of the top hitting prospects in a still strong Braves farm system. It’s the time of year where new prospect lists are being put together and Sam Dykstra from MLB Pipeline shared that Malloy will become the seventh ranked prospect in the Tigers system. Other services may well have him higher than that.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Justyn-Henry Malloy is going to be No. 7 on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tigers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tigers</a> Top 30 soon. Really solid overall hitter with decent pop. Climbed three levels in ‘22 and was a good performer in the AFL. <br><br>He’s likely stuck in LF, which heightens the need for him to hit, but so far so good. <a href="https://t.co/8evKaPwTrI">https://t.co/8evKaPwTrI</a></p>— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/SamDykstraMiLB/status/1600683547240824832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a>
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<p id="OU2vmo">Atlanta took Malloy in the 6th round of the 2021 draft out of <a href="https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com">Georgia Tech</a>. He’d transferred there after initially starting his college career at Vanderbilt. He’s been a quick riser through the Braves’ system, showing elite plate discipline that helped him ascend all the way to Triple-A by the end of the 2022 season, his first full season as a pro. That rapid development for the 22-year-old sent his stock soaring, and got him a nod for the Arizona Fall League. After making the Fall Stars team, Malloy now finds himself part of a new organization. </p>
<p id="V6Xz4v">While the deal itself seemingly came out of nowhere, the press release was not shy in explaining why the Tigers were excited to acquire Malloy. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tigers release gives a good rundown on 3B/OF Justyn-Henry Malloy, acquired in the Joe Jiménez trade. <br><br>Scott Harris seemed excited about Malloy, called him part of reshaping Detroit’s “offensive identity” <a href="https://t.co/J7Oq6oP7YL">pic.twitter.com/J7Oq6oP7YL</a></p>— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) <a href="https://twitter.com/CodyStavenhagen/status/1600681493835046912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a>
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<p id="V9xdKj">All viable reasons for being excited about a prospect. Finding a hitter that can control the strike zone and show plate discipline is a good trait to have, and frankly something that’s been lacking from Tigers lineups over the last few years. Whether this is just an executive saying nice things about his new player or not, Malloy is the first real look we have at what this new front office may covet in prospect hitters. </p>
<h3 id="ImpX9e">Strengths</h3>
<p id="c51WIC">As Scott Harris mentioned in the press release, Malloy has very good plate discipline. He shows ability to work counts. Sometimes to his detriment, which I’ll touch on later, Malloy isn’t afraid to be patient in the box. He works counts as well as anyone, and often finds himself deep in counts. </p>
<p id="YOS0Fy">The key reason is his refusal to chase bad pitches. Malloy can recognize offspeed well and he doesn’t let his hands go on pitches that break out of the zone. Whether it be sliders running away, or changeups breaking in, he has a good feel on what pitches will find the zone, and which ones to lay off of. It’s a very educated approach for a hitter in his first full year of pro ball, in particular.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The loud contact is awesome, but I love Justyn-Henry Mallory’s plate discipline and feel for the zone. There’s swing and miss, and he’s patient working counts, but he doesn’t chase a lot. <a href="https://t.co/3nM7YQiUOf">pic.twitter.com/3nM7YQiUOf</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600690969439260672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a>
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<p id="HUUjAl">That can be a two way street, especially with human umpires calling balls and strikes, which is a debate for another time. In this case, it means Malloy can find himself in two strike counts without ever swinging the bat. Just look at his strikeout numbers. But don’t let those strikeouts fool you, he battles at the plate. He doesn’t give in easily and he will foul pitches off. He’s a hard out to get, even when behind in the count. That patience will sometimes mean that he takes strikes too often and is hitting from behnd, but he has a plan and isn’t shy about executing it.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In his 2nd Triple-A plate appearance he goes down 1-2 quickly, then fouled off 4 pitches on his way to a 10-pitch walk. Only three of the foul balls are here, technical difficulties. But still, put up a battle! <a href="https://t.co/FLTcHs3gma">https://t.co/FLTcHs3gma</a> <a href="https://t.co/5Wd7ouhwpo">pic.twitter.com/5Wd7ouhwpo</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600683261881384961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a>
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<p id="wx7gVS">Zone discipline is a great trait to have, but it doesn’t answer the question of if he can hit. And the answer is that he can. He’s a hit over power profile, but there is some pop to his swing. Especially in a park like Comerica, it will likely be predominantly doubles power. However, he can get into pitches and pulls the ball in the air enough to expect 20 home run power, and potentially more if he continues to develop. </p>
<p id="KPN4Bp">Hitting isn’t easy. As simple as this sounds, Malloy is very good at hitting mistakes. He takes advantage of them when he sees them and that’s an important thing to do as a hitter. As the arms get better in the upper minors and then the major leagues, the number of mistake pitches gets smaller. Taking advantage of them becomes that much more important the higher a batter climbs. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">One thing apparent so far is that Justyn-Henry Malloy does not miss mistake pitches <a href="https://t.co/tOUQMCH7Ht">pic.twitter.com/tOUQMCH7Ht</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600686328815194112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In his first Triple-A plate appearance newest Tiger Justyn-Henry Malloy hit an absolute shot <a href="https://t.co/QVWXjSki9g">pic.twitter.com/QVWXjSki9g</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600680541812293632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a>
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<p id="dtbzCd">The question then becomes about what might happen at the Major League level. Pitchers will catch too much of the zone, but can he hit the ball when pitches are executed well? There are a lot of variables involved, but based on his swing there’s a reasonable assumption that he will be able to find success turning on pitches on the inside half of the plate. Open face video of Malloy’s swing from Josh Norris gives some indication as to why that is. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">And loud contact from Justyn Henry-Malloy <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Braves?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Braves</a> <a href="https://t.co/qJDVnjArkI">pic.twitter.com/qJDVnjArkI</a></p>— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) <a href="https://twitter.com/jnorris427/status/1577126458899648512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a>
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<p id="NTGgwZ">There is one part of that swing in particular that I’ve honed in on.</p>
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<p id="gxaN5Q">The separation Malloy creates in his swing along with quick hands through zone help him to turn on pitches on the inner half. He’s an excellent hitter to his pull side. This means he should be able to get to velocity on the inner half, and wait back on offspeed when he recognizes it out of the hand. </p>
<p id="Wl4rFd">Between his bat to ball skills and plate discipline, Malloy will be a hit over everything type prospect who could wind up with an above average hit tool and roughly average power. </p>
<h3 id="B80djO">Weaknesses</h3>
<p id="TI3fAl">The biggest hole in Malloy’s offensive game to this point is when pitches are spotted to the outside part of the plate. He’s excellent at pulling the ball, but he tries to do that a lot. So going with pitches on the outer half can prove to be a struggle at times for him. It’s not that he can’t get the bat head to those pitches, but more that he has a tendency to try to hook around them and pull them. That leaves him susceptible if he can’t fight them off in an attempt to get a pitch he can pull. When he does stay on pitches away, he’s very capable of spraying plenty of line drives to all fields. The home run power is decidedly to the pull field at this point, however.</p>
<p id="2HBq8W">Beyond that there are questions about where he lands defensively. He’s not a fast runner, which will limit him to left field if he remains in the outfield. Some scouts believe he won’t stick there, making his more likely defensive home third base. He has the arm strength to play at a corner. </p>
<p id="5q9hKD">These are two very important questions that will need addressed by the Tigers. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"He does damage to all fields." <a href="https://t.co/z6Yc6BlgRw">pic.twitter.com/z6Yc6BlgRw</a></p>— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/DetroitTigersPR/status/1600719969398165506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="8qC7Nk">Projection</h3>
<p id="PEmenU">In terms of return for a reliever with one year left before hitting free agency, getting Malloy plus is a very solid return. There’s a solid possibility the Tigers get an everyday regular from their newest hitting prospect. The lack of a defensive home is going to limit his value to a degree. I would put his FV at 45 as of right now, but it’s hard to argue if someone truly believe he was a 50 FV. </p>
<p id="OIZxWN">When it comes to projection, Malloy has filled out his frame. He added weight after coming out of college, which added some power to his game that was not previously there. After a stint in the AFL, Malloy will start working with the Tigers development team to figure out how to maximize his skillset. </p>
<p id="TStp8X">More than likely Malloy will start in Toledo in 2023 after only eight games in Triple-A in 2022. If he performs there, then Detroit will have a decision to make pretty quickly. It’s a long offseason, but right now there’s an opening at third base. Harris and company may well envision Malloy as the player to take it, but it’s highly unlikely that happens until the summer months at the earliest.</p>
<p id="DDrWDU">Regardless of when we see Malloy, the message is clear. The new front office is looking to change things. Detroit posted the second lowest walk percentage in the majors in 2022, and the worst chase rates. Scott Harris laid out his profile for hitters, and he leaned into it here, as Malloy may even be a little too patient and disciplined at times. Players like this are the first steps in changing the roster and adding more discipline to the Tigers lineup. </p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2022/12/8/23499621/detroit-tigers-justyn-henry-malloy-mlb-trade-atlanta-braves-joe-jimenezTrevor Hooth2022-12-08T06:00:00-05:002022-12-08T06:00:00-05:00Video Room: Tigers select Mason Englert in the Rule 5 Draft
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<p>Detroit gets a righty with starting rotation upside.</p> <p id="GxjScO">After a year off due to the lockout the Rule 5 Draft returned in full force on Wednesday evening. Last offseason saw only the Triple-A phase of the event, this year the MLB phase returned. The Detroit Tigers selected two players, and lost two players. </p>
<p id="GVqXoQ">In the MLB phase of the draft the Tigers selected RHP Mason Englert from the Texas Rangers organization. The Triple-A phase brought RHP Layne Henderson from the Houston Astros organization. They lost minor leaguers Dane Myers and Nick Kuzia in the minor league phases.</p>
<p id="yjZt0u">The Rule 5 Draft can be a fun event to speculate who might be protected or selected, but of course at the end of the day it’s hard to find gems. The obvious good players get protected, so it’s all about teams identifying something they like and can work with. More than a few waiver claims, this is truly the first look we’ve gotten at what the new revamped front office values and wants to work with.</p>
<p id="XNn5sG">If Englert makes the team then he will be under Rule 5 restrictions for the entire 2023 season. That means he will have to remain on the active roster. If the Tigers want to send him down, then Englert will be offered back to the Rangers and the Detroit will have to pay a fee. If the Rangers say no, then he remains a Tiger. If an injury occurs and Englert doesn’t meet the limit of days on the active roster, his Rule 5 restrictions will roll over to the following season. </p>
<p id="Ganywm">This is the case of injury pushing back a timetable and creating an opportunity that the Tigers didn’t pass up. Englert was considered a legitimate prospect for the Rangers as a former fourth round prep arm in 2018. Tommy John surgery in 2019 delayed the start of his pro career until the 2021 season. </p>
<p id="YVj8oC">The headline is that Englert is a command first pitcher with a deep arsenal that can keep hitters off balance. He throws a fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup. While he doesn’t overpower hitters with high velocity, he’s a great pitchability guy who fills up the strike zone and throws good strikes. </p>
<p id="DV5q5Q">Let’s take a look at some video.</p>
<h3 id="wVlJ2W">Fastball</h3>
<p id="b1hDrl">Many Rule 5 pitcher selections have big stuff without much ability to command it. Englert is the opposite. His fastball is generally in the low-90’s and tops out around 95 MPH. It works because he can move it around the zone extremely well and sequence his pitches to make his fastball less vulnerable. </p>
<p id="Itwoz4">That said, it’s not technically a great fastball. Per <a href="https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2022-major-league-baseball-rule-5-draft-preview-version-50/">Baseball America</a>, it has a very generic shape. Coupled without premium velocity, that means it’s going to get hit if Englert makes a mistake with it. Even if he executes it might wind up in hard contact if the hitter is sitting on it. That almost immediately caps his ceiling as a backend rotation arm. However, that same report from Baseball America mentions his release height and approach angle on the fastball as positives to the pitch. Those metrics explain why Englert has a lot of success elevating his fastball, which makes the profile that much more interesting. As the 2022 season went on, Englert starting leaning into the high fastball more, and the results were promising. </p>
<p id="cuzCai">The fastball does play well up in the zone, and he can work corner to corner in the lower third of the zone. How his fastball plays against big league hitters will be a big part of deciding what his ultimate role will be. It’ll be interesting to see how the development staff handles it, too. If they rework his pitch usage to not include the fastball as much, or if they find a way to optimize it and tick it up half a grade. The recent success with pitchers is enough reason to think the Tigers might have a trick up their sleeve. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tigers R5 pick RHP Mason Englert. First pitch I see is a 92 MPH FB dotted on the corner. This could be interesting. <a href="https://t.co/PkoeLKQUPq">pic.twitter.com/PkoeLKQUPq</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600622761017315329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Follow it up with a 93 MPH FB up and in. Nice. The command is fun so far. <a href="https://t.co/f1yTEB2lyh">pic.twitter.com/f1yTEB2lyh</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600626631466418176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Seriously, it just works <a href="https://t.co/WmlqP5uJqg">pic.twitter.com/WmlqP5uJqg</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600636548940288000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="ybVXnB">Curveball</h3>
<p id="VUBxEh">Englert will throw his mid-70’s curveball early and often. He does not care what the count is, this pitch might be coming at the hitter. It breaks both vertically and horizontally taking on almost a slurvy shape. It still traditionally looks like a curveball, but does have horizontal movement. </p>
<p id="LewAvB">He can generate swing and miss on this pitch for a few reasons. The first is his willingness to throw it in non-traditional counts. It takes confidence to do, but he’ll throw it in any count, whether it be to get ahead or get an out. It gets used regardless of if a lefty or righty is at the plate. The other reason this pitch sees success is because he can command it. He throws it to both sides of the plate and doesn’t hang it. He can live low in the zone, and below the zone, with it. </p>
<p id="oHivKi">This isn’t a dominating hammer. It’s once again the command and sequencing that makes it successful. That is a trend that will continue throughout his entire arsenal. It’s a good pitch when used correctly, but it will be dependent on locating it and setting it up. Misses in the majors will be punished accordingly.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Didn’t get the call but immediately follows with a back door CB that just misses <a href="https://t.co/qptr2zbUQi">pic.twitter.com/qptr2zbUQi</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600623099984199680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">After a long battle with lots of foul balls, Englert drops a CB in for a strikeout. Really showcased an ability to command the whole arsenal in the AB. He threw everything competitively in this AB. <a href="https://t.co/J8tbFF116u">pic.twitter.com/J8tbFF116u</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600624920643395584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Really attacking with his CB early <a href="https://t.co/ndhoT1AV1s">pic.twitter.com/ndhoT1AV1s</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600625517585203204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="avUpXk">Slider</h3>
<p id="Xjb032">This pitch is still developing for Englert. It’s a mid-80’s pitch that has some depth to it. The shape is distinct from his other breaking ball, and at its best it shows some useful sweep that could perhaps be accentuated by the Tigers’ coaching staff. Usage wise, it’s his fourth pitch currently. He mostly throws it against same handed hitters, but has shown the ability to throw it to the back foot against lefties, too. </p>
<p id="pGQ3cj">It can be inconsistent at times, but it has potential. Developing a more consistent fourth pitch will really cement his starters profile. Seeing what happens when he gets into the Tigers pitching lab will be an interesting development for Englert going forward. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Looks like his SL, first I’ve see here. Really nice usage of it, too. <a href="https://t.co/C5eMiNDqj8">pic.twitter.com/C5eMiNDqj8</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600637836948127745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="rxoX0c">Changeup</h3>
<p id="2XiTq1">For my money this is Englert’s best offering. He sells it well and, like the rest of his arsenal, he commands it well. He keeps it low in the zone. It’s a low-80’s offering with armside fade. It can get whiffs, but it excels at generating weak contact. Velocity separation off his fastball is very good, too. </p>
<p id="qzjEaz">The changeup is a very good option for Englert against left handed hitters. Like his other offspeed pitches he sequences it well, and has the movement and deception to miss bats with some regularity. The ability to command this pitch, along with the others, gives him a lot of options to get weak contact. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Batter gets a bat to it, but a well thrown changeup for weak contact <a href="https://t.co/78nX1AL3bT">pic.twitter.com/78nX1AL3bT</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600623618630754305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another look at Englert’s CH. Just dips below the zone. <a href="https://t.co/JbhdIgLGdV">pic.twitter.com/JbhdIgLGdV</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1600626248648097795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="2knjwF">Conclusion</h3>
<p id="ttPCe4">Englert has a starters profile with a four pitch mix and potentially plus command. His pitchability will be important to his success because he lacks premium stuff. All of his will have to play off of each other in order for him to find success against big league hitters. His ceiling is as a backend rotation arm, potentially settling in as a long relief option. He fills up the strike zone throwing good strikes. </p>
<p id="AXlRGQ">He moves pretty well on the mound, showing good mobility in his upper half. There isn’t much room to project on his frame. Optimizing his current skillset is going to be the key to unlocking his potential. Still, the Texas Rangers are not one of the cutting edge pitch design teams in the game and Englert has only thrown 180 regular minor league innings since high school. The Tigers’ may have an edge at this point and could help Englert tune the slider and sit near the top of his fastball velocity band more consistently. More immediately, Chris Fetter appears to be quite good at developing game plans for hitters and Englert’s solid command will help him execute. </p>
<p id="FaVGAX">The Rule 5 Draft doesn’t generally produce superstars. As far as this draft goes, Englert is as good of a pick as any. Taking an interesting pitcher whose upside may have been dampened by injuries and lack of playing time is a typical strategy. The Tigers got a player that will slide into their top 30, potentially inside the top 15 prospects. That isn’t for lack of talent in the farm system either. Englert has a chance to be a legitimate arm, whether he reach his potential or becomes useful depth among the pitching in Detroit. That’s a very good outcome from this draft. </p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2022/12/8/23499335/detroit-tigers-mason-englert-texas-rangers-draft-rule-5-pitching-analysisTrevor Hooth2022-12-06T22:10:00-05:002022-12-06T22:10:00-05:00Potential picks for the Tigers in the Rule 5 Draft
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<p>Detroit has the sixth pick in Wednesday’s Rule 5 Draft.</p> <p id="ulStKx">It’s time for the Rule 5 Draft! An exciting draft where teams attempt to find hidden gems to add to their MLB roster for the upcoming season. </p>
<p id="2TiSQc">Because of the new CBA the regular <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB Draft</a> now has a lottery system. However the Rule 5 Draft order is still reverse standings from the previous year. That means the Tigers have the 6th pick. </p>
<p id="U0vIz8">Most of you know the drill by now, but the Rule 5 draft is the final featured attraction of the winter meetings, currently underway in San Diego. A team can select an eligible player from any team that isn’t protected on their 40-man roster. To keep said player, the club has to keep them on the active 26-man roster all season, make a deal with their former club, or pass them through waivers.</p>
<p id="pPvfzm">Every year people will try to guess what players might be most desirable to teams and every year there is one undeniable truth to the Rule 5 Draft: No one outside of organizations really knows. Whether they are a top prospect or not is generally irrelevant. If a team covets an eligible player, then they are a possibility.</p>
<p id="I8r4NN">Because of that I’ve kept my selection parameters for this list pretty open. Each player on this list is a top prospect by one list or another. Generally I looked for upper minors experience, which is Double-A or higher, with a couple exceptions to that rule. Those exceptions are generally pitchers with big stuff.</p>
<p id="Lz7e6w">With that in mind, let’s take a look at some unprotected names who the Tigers might be interested in. </p>
<h3 id="mMJzfu">RHP Thad Ward, BOS</h3>
<p id="Gc48OT">Thanks to recovering from Tommy John surgery, Ward didn’t start pitching until August this season. After his rehab stint he wound up making seven starts in Double-A where he posted a 2.43 ERA with a 11.07 K/9 through 33 innings. He made up some innings in the AFL. He works with a fastball that can touch mid-90’s, a cutter, changeup, and sweepy slider. His walk numbers have been fairly high throughout his career. </p>
<p id="7dexZT">The <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> left Ward unprotected last year as well, likely due to his surgery, but there wound up not being a Rule 5 Draft last year because of the lockout. That recovery from surgery could also be the reason he went unprotected this year. If I were to guess, Ward is one of the top candidates to be selected this year. Probably the Tigers don’t have a shot here, and he’d be a bit difficult to fit on the roster among all the other young starters the Tigers are trying to develop.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thad Ward worked two clean innings on Friday night against Glendale, striking out a pair. Ward mixed a variety of pitches, four and two-seam fastballs at 92-94 mph, upper-80s cutter, changeup and a low-80s slider with sweep. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RedSox?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RedSox</a> <a href="https://t.co/pTKSx4WLCZ">pic.twitter.com/pTKSx4WLCZ</a></p>— Geoff Pontes (@GeoffPontesBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeoffPontesBA/status/1589050935783067649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="9YdJB9">LHP Antoine Kelly, TEX</h3>
<p id="MYl0iL">Along with Ward, Kelly is the other name getting a lot of hype in some circles. He’s a big lefty in the mid-90’s with his fastball and a big sweeping slider to match. His data gets good marks, which will make him that much more interesting. Kelly throws from a low slot, creating some interesting angles that can deceive hitters. It’s a relief profile all the way. The Rangers acquired Kelly from the <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> at the trade deadline then didn’t protect him. It seems curious, and could turn out to just be a bad decision in the end. There’s plenty of upside to be had with Kelly, and he’s easier to stash on a roster than a starter or a position player.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">MIL LHP Antoine Kelly had quite the day yesterday. Struck out 13 batters across 5.2 innings of work. He was doing just about everything he wanted. According to the broadcast, FB was mostly 91-93 MPH, and the SL was getting some very bad swings. <a href="https://t.co/hZSSNFiOJO">pic.twitter.com/hZSSNFiOJO</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1528651577044746242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="ydnWMC">RHP Victor Vodnik, ATL</h3>
<p id="icJfWG">Vodnik hasn’t thrown many innings over the last few years. His appeal comes with his pure stuff. He was up to 97 MPH with a slider and changeup. Both secondaries are good enough to play against big league hitters, but his fastball is his best pitch by far. It’s a high octane offering that will likely lead the way if he’s going to find any success. Picking Vodnik would be committing to a future relief prospect. He’s been a top prospect for the Braves for the last few years, and with the Tigers recent success developing arms they may be able to get solid value out of a pick like this. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Victor Vodnik (<a href="https://twitter.com/VictorVodnik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VictorVodnik</a>) strikes out the side in the 7th!! Touching 97 mph <a href="https://t.co/yE2GYMwl2W">pic.twitter.com/yE2GYMwl2W</a></p>— Mississippi Braves (@mbraves) <a href="https://twitter.com/mbraves/status/1525935371225292801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="EfE8fF">RHP Kohl Franklin, CHC</h3>
<p id="u1HYlA">This is probably my favorite available player despite how much of a gamble it would be to select him. Franklin has a long injury history that, combined with the lost 2020 minor league season, culminated in 2022 being his first season throwing competitive pitches since 2019. His fastball was touching triple digits at times, but would live mostly in the mid-90’s when starting. He couples that with a solid curveball and a devastating changeup. The stuff is something to believe in. His numbers were less than desirable, but remember he was getting back into learning how to pitch against hitters. His command needs to come around, too. There’s a low likelihood that a team takes a chance here, but the upside is certainly something to dream on. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cubs Kohl Franklin touching 100+ MPH this year and also dropping changeups like this. That’s exciting. Huuuge breakout potential in 2023. <a href="https://t.co/RYD3hR11y8">pic.twitter.com/RYD3hR11y8</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1592003420084473856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="WFofbL">RHP Jayden Murray, HOU</h3>
<p id="PQZM8K">Murray was a Rays prospect that was traded to Houston at the deadline. Those two organizations are smart. To be frank, he throws strikes. He lacks the wow factor in his stuff that the last couple pitchers listed have, but he has experience in the upper minors and fills up the strike zone. His success will come from his ability to command all three of his pitches. His fastball is generally low-90’s with a slider and changeup. Sequencing those offerings is very important. This pick would lack the flash of some others, but he’s still got enough upside to make sense. He’s probably a better fit for a team in need of pitching depth, which is probably the least of the Tigers’ problems.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Immaculate <a href="https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RaysBaseball</a> righty Jayden Murray tosses a perfect frame in his debut with the <a href="https://twitter.com/DurhamBulls?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DurhamBulls</a>: <a href="https://t.co/CH8x87OigG">pic.twitter.com/CH8x87OigG</a></p>— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiLB/status/1548457117547261956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="bOcjnj">OF Orlando Martinez, LAA</h3>
<p id="bKNXvy">In the past the Tigers have loved Rule 5 outfielders such like Victor Reyes and Akil Baddoo. That was also a previous regime. Martinez is a solid candidate to be next in the line of Rule 5 outfielders to wear a Tigers uniform. He’s a lefty swinger with solid contact skills and a feel for the zone. His power isn’t great, probably a handful of homeruns at his peak. That’s not exactly what the Tigers need, but he can draw walks and get bat to ball. He was a .250 hitter in 267 Triple-A at bats in 2022. Again, not a flashy pick, but certainly one worth considering if the Tiger choose to go the route of a bat. </p>
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<p lang="tl" dir="ltr">Orlando Martinez - Los Angeles Angels (1)* <a href="https://t.co/k3FeYSo3fH">pic.twitter.com/k3FeYSo3fH</a></p>— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBHRVideos/status/1507857024763277319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="ixGWhJ">RHP Carlos Duran, LAD</h3>
<p id="67cWFz">A theme among arms is betting on the stuff. There are gems in this draft, but for the most part there’s no formula to know what the right pick is. Duran is coming from a very good organization and has some very fun stuff. He has a massive, imposing 6’7” frame. He throws a fastball that gets into the mid-90’s with a big slider. Those two pitches will likely lead his bullpen future. There’s a changeup, too, that’s not as far along. All that said, he doesn’t have any experience above High-A. This is extremely unlikely, but if the Tigers see something in that fastball/slider combination then Duran becomes a bit more interesting. </p>
<h3 id="nCbJlt">RHP Steven Cruz, MIN</h3>
<p id="syFXEL">Another 6’7” pitcher, except Cruz lives in the upper-90’s and triple digits. He throws hard. That’s the appeal here. His walk numbers are very high and it’s a longshot bet at a reliever. I’d imagine if a team made a second round pick, that’s where any interest in Cruz comes in. There’s a decent slider, too. However the command is a huge ding to the profile and makes him nearly impossible to bet on as a Rule 5 pick.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Steven Cruz has a very live arm out of the pen. He sits upper-90s and touched 101 last summer ⛽️⛽️<br>As you can imagine, it missed a lot of bats in 2021. He also features a slider that lives upper-80s.<a href="https://twitter.com/ProspectsLive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ProspectsLive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Twins?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Twins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MNTwins?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MNTwins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIN</a> <a href="https://t.co/FZodM7Xzb1">https://t.co/FZodM7Xzb1</a> <a href="https://t.co/eXUHVgL6Yj">pic.twitter.com/eXUHVgL6Yj</a></p>— Joe Drake (@JDrake349) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDrake349/status/1491396462940467206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="ixdGey">RHP Jordany Ventura, NYM</h3>
<p id="iMjdca">This is another wild pick, but hear me out. Ventura threw his first innings since 2019 this year and he didn’t throw a lot of them. He also never eclipsed Single-A. Remember Akil Baddoo? It’s not unheard of. It’s also a little crazy to think Ventura would be on a teams radar in the Rule 5 Draft. He throws fastball in the 93-96 range with a solid curveball and changeup combination. He’s a top prospect in the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> organization, which is why he’s here. Still, it would be a longshot to think he’s on the Tigers shortlist of potential picks unless Scott Harris really gets bold. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">NYM RHP Jordany Ventura struck out 6 in 2.1 innings today. FB was 93-96, showed good feel for a CH and a nice CB. 21 years old, missed last year with TJS so he’s been all short stints in his 3 starts this year. <a href="https://t.co/W9Z9DgqTvv">pic.twitter.com/W9Z9DgqTvv</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1538719257906774016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="NwAPRg">1B Malcom Nunez, PIT</h3>
<p id="3aYJbu">This pick would make some degree of sense for the Tigers. Nunez has a very nice bat, but he’s defensively limited to first base. He packs a punch at the plate and shows some nice plate skills, too. Nunez can walk and keep strikeouts down, which he proved at the Double-A level with both the Cardinals and Pirates. For Detroit, the question becomes if they want to carry his bat to backup Spencer Torkelson or give him at bats in the DH spot. It wouldn’t be a bad decision by any means, however it would create some roster construction questions because of his defensive limitations. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">No. 11 <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cardinals</a> prospect Malcom Nunez smacks two home runs in the SAME INNING for the <a href="https://twitter.com/Sgf_Cardinals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sgf_Cardinals</a>: <a href="https://t.co/uvV5D7fHU6">pic.twitter.com/uvV5D7fHU6</a></p>— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiLB/status/1541984789745606657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="cW1XYO">2B Nerwilian Cedeno, SD</h3>
<p id="rG0Tiu">This is another long shot for selection at all in the Rule 5 Draft. He’s an interesting prospect though. He only has low minors experience, but he can cover the zone extremely well. If there were ever a skill I’d want to bet on from a low minors bat, it’s that. It’s not unheard of for a guy like this to be taken if a team believes in the upside. The only question is if Cedeno has that kind of upside. I’m still not sure, but his hands are something to believe in. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nerwilian Cedeño sends one off the Ad Monster and breaks this game WIDE OPEN<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YourHomeTeam?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YourHomeTeam</a> <a href="https://t.co/TRSFt8iQ38">pic.twitter.com/TRSFt8iQ38</a></p>— Lake Elsinore Storm Baseball (@Storm_Baseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/Storm_Baseball/status/1570634517203025920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="EpA35c">3B Andres Chaparro, NYY </h3>
<p id="tPWb6A">If I got to make the pick based on all the information I have in the public space, it would be Chaparro. He plays third base, which is something the Tigers could use. He hit 19 homers in Double-A while slashing .289/.369/.594. He put up numbers, and he has a quick, compact swing that can cover the zone. His plate skills and ability to field at the hot corner give him a very interesting floor as a Rule 5 pick. If there were ever a gamble to take, I think Chaparro would be the one for the Tigers to gamble on. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Andres Chaparro has two homers tonight for <a href="https://twitter.com/SOMPatriots?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SOMPatriots</a>.<br><br>He's now hitting .298 with 17 homers on the season…<a href="https://t.co/Wu5h0Yx3zQ">pic.twitter.com/Wu5h0Yx3zQ</a></p>— Eli Fishman (@elijfishman) <a href="https://twitter.com/elijfishman/status/1568760657692053504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2022</a>
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https://www.blessyouboys.com/2022/12/6/23461484/detroit-tigers-rule-5-draft-akil-baddoo-thad-ward-antoine-kellyTrevor Hooth2022-10-09T10:00:00-04:002022-10-09T10:00:00-04:00The Tigers youth is a foundation Scott Harris can build on
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<figcaption>Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption>
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<p>With 2022 over and all of Avila’s blue-chip prospects graduated, the farm is still in solid shape for Scott Harris to build on.</p> <p id="86ESbK">It’s playoff time once again. While some other fanbases are focused on keeping their heart rate down as their team plays in the biggest games of the year, the Detroit Tigers faithful look on, hoping for a better future, and reflecting on the season that just played out. From any statistical viewpoint, from the eye test, in whatever way you evaluate it, the Tigers fell incredibly far short of expectations as a whole.</p>
<p id="cqILI7">That doesn’t mean there weren’t some bright spots. Having graduated Tarik Skubal and all of their first round picks from 2016-2020, the farm system looked prime for a major falloff in talent. Fortunately, things went much better under the new player development staff than we could’ve reasonably expected.</p>
<p id="6vh4YG">The pitching development at the major league level remained very strong despite a host of injuries, and Miguel Cabrera reached 3,000 hits. Riley Greene was reasonably good in limited reps due to injury. Eric Haase proved his 2021 wasn’t a fluke. More importantly, it was also a season that saw Al Avila finally relieved of his duties midseason, and in the days since the final regular season out was made there’s been many other front office staff and coaches let go. The new President of Baseball Operations, Scott Harris, has his work cut out for him, but the situation is far brighter than the 2022 record would lead you to believe. </p>
<p id="3913Tx">The biggest question to answer is how can you make this team better both in the short and the long term? Trades and free agent signings are the quickest way, reinforcements from the farm system are another. </p>
<p id="hAZuIC">In theory the young pieces for the next Tigers playoff push are in place. Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Tarik Skubal. Those are the big name prospects of the last few years, and they’ve arrived. That’s the core to work with, despite the fact that much development remains for them to reach their potential. </p>
<p id="Y4OCl6">As we Tigers bloggers watch the playoffs, we’re also preparing. When the last out of the postseason is made, rumor season starts. There will be free agent signings and there will be trades. Harris has a reputation as both an aggressive dealmaker and someone who is constantly tuning the final spots on the 40 man roster via small trades and thorough scouring of the waiver wire. Detroit will need to be active if they hope to make a push towards contention in 2023.</p>
<p id="upANnP">But what do we make of the farm system? The development system continues to show ongoing improvement, and there are plenty of fun, talented young players atop the organizational rankings. As we sit here, eagerly waiting to see what Harris and company have planned, it’s important to take stock of what potential assets already exist within the organization. </p>
<h3 id="pXuHOQ">Pitching</h3>
<p id="bx0bya">Health played a factor in this season, especially on the the pitching side of things. That’s an undeniable truth. However, it was the pitching that held the team together. Just a few short years ago if I were putting this piece together, I’d be mentioning the impending injection of pitching talent of Mize, Manning, and Skubal. Other than Skubal, who ended the year injured, that trio wasn’t the group keeping the rotation afloat. </p>
<p id="RkVIwi">What went well in terms of the farm system in 2022 was the clear step forward in the philosophies and ability to develop arms. It’s great when you’re handed pitching talent like the Tigers had in that trio. It’s better when the team shows the ability to create big league level contributors without having to use first round picks to get them. Entering the season there’s not a single person who could’ve anticipated the role that arms like Beau Brieske, Alex Faedo, or Garrett Hill would play. Maybe none of those guys are anchoring the front of the rotation, but that’s what the highly touted arms are there to do. The depth of arms was incredible this year. </p>
<p id="O8fF23">Looking beyond the guys who donned the Old English D this year, there were massive step forwards from many prospects. </p>
<p id="OQKuWf">Wilmer Flores went from an undrafted free agent from the shortened 2020 draft to one of Detroit’s top prospects. He also pitched his way into <a href="https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2022-top-100-prospects/?Position=&Keyword=flores">Baseball America’s top 100 list</a>, coming in at number 86. There are talent evaluators who believe he could walk into an MLB clubhouse today and be a reliable 4/5 starter and grow into a larger role. That’s a good signal that he could be another arm that helps the Tigers in 2023. </p>
<p id="71ci82">Flores’ teammate in Erie, Reese Olson, flashed his ceiling several times throughout the season. He racked up strikeouts and kept his walk numbers down, posting the least amount of walks allowed and the most innings thrown this year. The effect of the coaching was easy to see, too. His high effort delivery has been toned down quite a bit. While he has more variance in his ceiling and floor than Flores, there are scouts who think he has the higher ceiling. As a noted Olson hype man, I should clarify that while I believe that, I’m not referring to myself. </p>
<p id="bK0Ota">For many Jackson Jobe’s fatal flaw might be that his name isn’t Marcelo Mayer. So early struggles turned a lot of people away. We only got brief glances at Jobe throughout the year when Lakeland would play Bradenton, but he did keep getting better. His elite spin fastball and breaking balls showed a lot of promise. But, you have to walk before can run. He needed to learn to use his arsenal against professional hitters before he could really start to show what he can do. The run he went on late in the season showed it all rapidly beginning to come together for him.</p>
<p id="xEE7Ox">There’s also Ty Madden, Dylan Smith, and Brant Hurter, among others, who had good seasons, and a crop of relievers with good stuff who need more fine-tuning to take the next step. The Tigers drafted a ton of college pitching this season, headlined by Troy Melton. The list can go on and on. With the demonstrated ability in pitching development, this has to be considered one of the strengths of the Tigers, and it continues to track upwards in comparison with other organizations. </p>
<p id="PMAPvp">With former Dodgers pitching coordinator Gabe Ribas as Director of Pitching for the minor leagues, and a very good major league pitching coach in Chris Fetter running things in the show, the club is primed to continue pitching well for years to come. They just need a run of better health to really unleash the full pitching potential of the organization.</p>
<h3 id="gTuZMJ">Hitting</h3>
<p id="4PtaqY">This is where things get interesting. The Tigers do not have a sparkling reputation when comes to the development of hitters. In fact, their reputation over the past decade has been downright terrible. Torkelson and Greene came in as very good hitters and soared through the minors without much hands on required from their coaches. But beyond them, the Tigers reputation is not ideal because it was the offense that sputtered the most during the 2022 season. </p>
<p id="cdhX4j">Frankly, sputtered might be too kind of word choice. Javier Baez, while leading the team in homeruns, was underwhelming. Austin Meadows missed most of the year with injury. Spencer Torkelson adjusted slowly, though showed signs of life after a trip to Toledo. Riley Greene was late to the party because of injury, but did perform relatively well once he arrived. The result was one of the worst offenses in the history of the game going all the way back to the dead ball era.</p>
<p id="rwhVxo">However, in much more positive news, many hitting prospects took a step forward. The ascension of Kerry Carpenter from obscure Double-A prospect to MLB hitter is nothing to be taken lightly. He took minor league baseball by storm early on in the season with his power numbers. Carpenter hit 30 homeruns between Double-A and Triple-A before his early-August promotion. His previous career high? 15. He came into 2022 with a revamped swing, and spoiler alert, it worked out well for him. We’re still not sold on an everyday role, but Carpenter showed some signs of rapid adjustments to major league pitching that could make him an interesting weapon next season in a part-time role.</p>
<p id="jn48EM">Parker Meadows is another hitter who saw vast improvements. He was very far out of the minds of most prospect hounds last spring. Many, myself included, had written him off completely as another underwhelming high draft pick from the Tigers. Parker, I apologize. He started in High-A, but was quickly tested in Double-A where he answered the call, putting together the best offensive year of his professional career. It couldn’t have come at a better time because he’s Rule 5 eligible this winter. With a shorter, cleaner swing, and more muscle on his huge frame, Meadows the younger went on quite a run over the final months, serving notice that he may yet become a force to be reckoned with at the major league level. </p>
<p id="O0NUc8">Wenceel Perez, Izaac Pacheco, Colt Keith, and many others also took big steps forward this year. Cristian Santana put together a very good season, showing a ton of potential as an 18-year-old already in A-ball. The injection of Jace Jung, Peyton Graham, and Danny Serretti via the draft is exciting. That’s a positive sign for hitting development as a whole for Detroit. They appear to have plenty to work with despite the lack of top prospects on national lists. That said, the hitting is just in a different place than the pitching and still trying to catch up. </p>
<p id="53KYlw">It’s a precarious situation from the outside looking in. The Tigers need hitting help. However, the Tigers hitting prospects, at least the ones who have a chance to make a true impact, aren’t in a place to provide it next year. The top of Tiger prospect lists have guys like Keith, Pacheco, Santana, and Jung. None of them have played above High-A. Dillon Dingler was a Double-A hitter, but his career will likely be defined by defense. </p>
<p id="bzwHMN">Parker Meadows did play Double-A ball and now is in the Arizona Fall League, and he looks like a potential contributor. Whether that’s a true everyday player or not depends on who you talk to. He might be, but he might have a fourth outfielder ceiling. He’ll have to continue to show his talents next year, though if things continue progressing on his current trajectory he’s very likely to earn a look later next season. Andre Lipcius was in Triple-A, and while a talented, well-rounded player, he isn’t expected to be that impact kind of contributor that fills an everyday role on a division winning contender. </p>
<p id="IAhX4s">It’s important to stress that there are very good hitting prospects in the Tigers farm system right now. There are several who have legitimate chances to not only be everyday players, but impact players at some point in their career. It’s an exciting group. They lack a couple of true blue-chip talents with Torkelson and Greene graduating, and the timetable of their top hitting prospects doesn’t show any obvious help coming in 2023. What they do have now, are the type of positional prospects who may serve Harris best as trade chips while he sets out to implement his own strategies and personnel in scouting going forward. No doubt evaluations of the system are one of his key priorities as he prepares for his first offseason running the Tigers.</p>
<h3 id="vuquPq">What Does All This Mean?</h3>
<p id="0vfhTS">If it seems to this point that it’s been all praise toward the development team and prospects, that’s because there should be a lot of praise headed their way. It was an objectively fantastic year in terms of players taking major leaps forward in their abilities and perceived ceilings. Getting the systems of development implemented and identifying what traits the team can maximize value on is a huge step toward building a consistent contender. First year Vice-President of Player Development Ryan Garko and his new staff appear to have done a fine job setting the foundation this season.</p>
<p id="FgKbWR">The problem here is that it wouldn’t be ridiculous for the Tigers to go from sixth worst record to threatening for a wild card spot next season. The variance in potential outcomes is huge depending on how aggressive Harris is this offseason. Health to key players will play a major role, as getting players like Austin Meadows, Tarik Skubal, and Spencer Turnbull healthy and back contributing will be crucial. The continued development of Torkelson and Greene is another major factor that is really difficult to predict right now. There is young talent at the MLB level and that means a clock has started, but that doesn’t mean Harris is going to sell off the farm in a ferocious push to make everything happen all at once. </p>
<p id="qPDlSp">Yes, the Tigers will have the young core for years to come, but as we inch closer to a decade without Detroit in the postseason it seems like 2023 will be a decisive year for this team. It’s one thing to have young prospects with promise, and talented major leaguers who just haven’t put it all together yet. The Tigers have that in spades, but it’s another thing entirely to put it all together and build a contender. While there’s every chance that the Tigers could come back a lot better next year with their current crop of talent and a few smart additions, if the offense once again is struggling then there won’t be much in the way of help coming from top prospects. </p>
<p id="YRNLF9">The state of the Tigers farm system is much better than we would’ve expected with most of the blue chip prospects now graduated. Development across the board looks like it’s taken a step forward. In terms of bats and arms, there’s a lot of talent within the organization. As the new front office group takes the reigns, they aren’t starting with a bare cupboard. The question is how they deploy those resources toward success at the major league level, and just how aggressive Harris and Ilitch plan to be this offseason in terms of signings and trades.</p>
<p id="9ynHFt">I can say with confidence that I have more excitement towards the farm system as a whole right now than I did just a year ago for what was considered a top heavy system. There’s something to be said for that. With new leadership atop the organization and another major overhaul of the coaches and front office now underway, all we can do now is wait for the World Series Champion to be crowned and see what Harris has in store for us in his first offseason running the Detroit Tigers.</p>
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https://www.blessyouboys.com/2022/10/9/23394287/detroit-tigers-farm-system-colt-keith-jackson-jobe-cristian-santana-wilmer-flores-izaac-pachecoTrevor Hooth2022-09-30T07:00:00-04:002022-09-30T07:00:00-04:00Tigers linked to three of MLB Pipelines top 50 international free agents
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<figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>International free agency opens January 15th.</p> <p id="O6lNCb">There are many ways to build up a farm system. While the <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> have been largely using high picks in the draft to do so, the international free agency period is an equally important aspect where the teams with top farm systems seem to consistently take advantage. The Tigers have not been among them. In fact, we have to go back to <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Milwaukee Brewers</a> shortstop, Willy Adames, for the last Tigers international free agent signing who really panned out in the major leagues.</p>
<p id="DhY1lK">In recent years it seems there’s been more of a push by Detroit to be more active on this market. Just last season, they hired Euclides Rojas as Director of Latin American Player Development, hoping to get their teenaged prospects off on a better foot before they come stateside. They’ve found some exciting prospects such as Cristian Santana, Roberto Campos, Abel Bastidas, and Manuel Sequera to name a few. In the most recent cycle, the big money acquisition was Javier Osorio. </p>
<p id="qzFDuT">New President of Baseball Operations, Scott Harris, will no doubt be looking to change all this and help find more talent from the most important international markets. However, these deals are often agreed upon when players are still only 13-14 years old. So any impact Harris will make is still a long ways off, and the pre-arranged deals the Tigers already have in place are highly unlikely to be altered by January.</p>
<p id="luQBIA">Recently MLB Pipeline dropped their list of the <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/the-top-international-prospects-for-2022-23?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage">top 50 international free agents</a> for the upcoming signing period, along with the teams listed as favorites to sign them. Because the Tigers had a Competitive Balance B pick in the most recent draft, they will receive a pool of $6,366,900, which starts them among the highest pools of any team. There is still time, but once the signing period opens there is the ability to trade money. </p>
<p id="cM9y8M">The Tigers are linked to three of MLB Pipelines top 50 prospects. Two of the prospects expected to be signed by Detroit are from Venezuela, and one is from the Dominican Republic. Because there is not much known about these players in the public space, many times we rely on Pipeline or top publications like Baseball America for information. </p>
<p id="vjmIxj">According to MLB Pipeline, the highest ranked player linked to Detroit is a switch hitting catcher named Enrique Jimenez, coming in at 32nd. They give him high marks for his baseball IQ and makeup. The 16-year-old is said to make good contact with the ability to grow into some power. </p>
<p id="oDua3X">MLB Pipeline also provides a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/top-int-l-prospects-jimenez-c">short video</a> of Jimenez. It’s just some batting practice swings and throws to second. It should all be taken with a grain of salt based on his age, but he does show quick hands from both sides of the plate. </p>
<p id="LXdJ3M">The next highest ranked prospect likely signing with the Tigers is 44th ranked prospect, shortstop Maikol Orozco. They believe he will play up the middle, whether that be shortstop or second base, and he will hit. Orozco is already projected to be a bat-first profile. His writeup is adamant that he will hit. </p>
<p id="1j62Wr">There is <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/top-int-l-prospects-orozco-ss?t=mlb-pipeline">video</a> provided for Orozco as well. Just like with Jimenez, it’s a few practice reps in the field and a few batting practice swings. There isn’t much to say about it. However, based on the bat path in those swings it is easy to tell why Orozco gets such high marks for his hitting ability. </p>
<p id="xjjpPa">Finally, the Tigers are listed as favorites for 48th ranked prospect, outfielder Cristian Perez. He’s a 16-year-old righty who is said to already be showing power to all fields with more projected in the tank. Detroit has a history of going after power with international free agents, like Campos and Sequera. </p>
<p id="wVRRHU"><a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/top-int-l-prospects-perez-of?t=mlb-pipeline">Video</a> is available for Perez. He has quick hands and a flat bat path in the available batting practice swings. Both of those things are tell tale signs of pop from hitters at any level, especially against fastballs. </p>
<p id="STG1au">There are still a few months until the signing period officially opens, so things may change. The Tigers could trade some money or they could trade for some more money. While it’s important to note who Detroit signs during this period, it’s also important to note that once the signing happens it could be a couple years before seeing these prospects in action. We just got our first full season looks at players like Santana, Campos, and Sequera. This is the long-term pipeline and will take a half decade to reach the Double-A level should things go well.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2022/9/30/23379911/detroit-tigers-international-free-agents-scott-harris-cristian-santana-willy-adames-roberto-camposTrevor Hooth2022-09-16T18:48:06-04:002022-09-16T18:48:06-04:00Tigers will send four hitting prospects to the Arizona Fall League
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<p>Detroit has some fun bats slated for extra instruction</p> <p id="MC77UM">Rosters for the Arizona Fall League have been announced and the <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> are sending eight players. They will play for the Salt River Rafters, a team they share with the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>, Rockies, Cardinals, and Blue Jays. </p>
<p id="Kn9FKJ">The eight Tigers players heading to the esteemed fall league are Dillon Dingler, Colt Keith, Gage Workman, Parker Meadows, Jack Anderson, Andrew Magno, Tyler Mattison, and Joey Wentz along with Sean McFarland on the coaching side. Detroit will send four pitchers and four hitters, including five of their top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline. </p>
<p id="qbB5Tv">Teams will send top prospects, prospects they feel are ready to make a jump, and prospects who missed time and could use more game reps. The coaching and competition in the AFL are some of the best that players can get in terms of development. The Tigers are sending prospects that check all of those boxes. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">2022 SALT RIVER RAFTERS <br> <a href="https://twitter.com/SaltRiverFields?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SaltRiverFields</a><br><br>- <a href="https://twitter.com/Dbacks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dbacks</a><br>- <a href="https://twitter.com/Rockies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rockies</a> <br>- <a href="https://twitter.com/tigers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tigers</a><br>- <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cardinals</a> <br>- <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BlueJays</a> <a href="https://t.co/gvMa0S6WaT">pic.twitter.com/gvMa0S6WaT</a></p>— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBazFallLeague/status/1570830182877130752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2022</a>
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<p id="P2F9Bf">Last year there were two Tigers prospects who stood out in the AFL just before making a big jump in their career. One was Wilmer Flores, who has made a massive leap up prospect boards. Depending on the website he’s a top-100 prospect or close to it. The other was Garrett Hill who has helped at the major league level this year. </p>
<p id="gjIt3y">So let’s take a closer look at the hitting prospects chosen to participate this year. </p>
<h3 id="weP1FY">Dillon Dingler</h3>
<p id="gvr8BF">One of the big in-season risers last year whose stock has taken a bit of a hit thanks to a slow adjustment to Double-A dating back to the end of the 2021 season. He’s been at the level all year while hitting .238 with 14 home runs and a 106 wRC+. He did have just over 200 plate appearances last year in Double-A, and since then he has shown lots of improvements in his peripheral numbers — specifically a bump in walk rate from 4.3 to 10 percent between seasons. That comes with a slightly higher strikeout rate, but he is clearly more comfortable against the arms at this level. </p>
<p id="O6wkCD">Because of that Dingler checks two of the boxes from before. While he is a top prospect, he also needs to make a jump next year if he wants to keep that status. He’s one of the most athletic backstops in the minors, but the Tigers will want his bat to take another step forward if they will feel comfortable with him as the catcher of the future. </p>
<p id="TzCrIQ">There’s one more asterisk to consider when it comes to evaluating Dingler, though. He’s still a fairly new catcher. At <a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com">Ohio State</a>, he split time behind the plate and in center field. The defense has already taken a big step forward this year. He’s receiving the ball much better than he was a year ago. His arm plays behind the plate, too. </p>
<p id="BERVnA">In the AFL it will be good for Dingler to get some extra instruction defensively, however, the focus will likely be on his bat. It should be seen as a vote of confidence in the upside of Dingler that the Tigers chose to send him to the AFL.</p>
<h3 id="LUOtxc">Colt Keith</h3>
<p id="oJkAiF">To be as direct as humanly possible, Colt Keith is the best prospect the Tigers are sending to the AFL. He’s arguably the best prospect Detroit has in general. He took a massive step forward this year, slashing .301/.354/.544 with nine home runs through 48 games before succumbing to a shoulder injury that held him out the rest of the season. </p>
<p id="aeYvX3">Keith’s addition to the AFL means he’s healthy, or at least will be by the time things start up. That’s good news. It’s also good that he will be able to catch up on the reps he missed because of the injury. This is two-fold in terms of developmental purposes. The first part is that it will put Keith back on track, but also getting the extra coaching will be huge for a former two-way prep player getting to his ceiling of an everyday player. </p>
<h3 id="HntXEf">Gage Workman</h3>
<p id="qBsDi5">This is the first player who I’d classify specifically as someone who needs the AFL to help him reach another level. He was once a top-30 prospect, but that’s faded. Workman has been at shortstop and there’s a discussion to be had between scouts and evaluators on if he will stick there. Where he lands defensively could potentially play a big factor in what his future looks like. My personal opinion is that he moves back to third base where he is an excellent defender. </p>
<p id="ON5PYC">Even so, defense isn’t the issue. The biggest area needed improvement is his bat. He’s posted an 86 wRC+ in Double-A this year while hitting .227 with 14 homers, 30 steals, and an astronomical 40.2 percent strikeout rate. The former ASU infielder hasn’t hit up to par since he was too advanced for competition in Single-A. </p>
<p id="nqBDEm">Despite that, he’s still continued to move up levels because the Tigers believe in him. There’s reason to see the upside in the bat despite his struggles at the plate. That is likely the same reason why he’s been selected for the AFL. If one of the instructors can help him make more contact then Workman might just shoot back up the rankings. </p>
<h3 id="162cXa">Parker Meadows</h3>
<p id="g9xRA1">The feel-good story of the Tigers farm system will keep going and it’s just wonderful to see. Quite frankly there were not many evaluators who hadn’t written Meadows off as a Tigers prospect. This year was a sink-or-swim promotion to Double-A since Meadows has to be added to the 40-man this offseason or else he would be Rule 5 eligible. He swam like an Olympian, hitting .280 with 16 homers and 17 steals to this point in the season. This is the first time since 2018 posting a wRC+ over 100. </p>
<p id="5n3Zub">It’s because of this amazing season that Meadows has regained his top prospect status within the organization once again. The biggest improvement he’s shown is in his ability to make contact. His quality of contact is better, but also his strikeout percentage has dipped below 20 percent. </p>
<p id="m4cIA7">Of all the players the Tigers are sending to the AFL, this is my favorite decision. Quite simply after several years of struggles, it’s good that Meadows can keep this momentum from this season going for as long as possible. The biggest fear with him is that he’ll come back next season and not be able to continue the improvements he’s made. </p>
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https://www.blessyouboys.com/2022/9/16/23357252/detroit-tigers-arizona-fall-league-hitting-prospectsTrevor Hooth2022-08-04T10:00:00-04:002022-08-04T10:00:00-04:00Video breakdown of the newest Tiger, Sawyer Gipson-Long
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<p><em>Detroit acquired Gipson-Long from the Minnesota Twins in the Michael Fulmer trade. </em></p> <p id="q3wnWn">Less than an hour before the trade deadline passed the <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> traded Michael Fulmer to the <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Minnesota Twins</a> for RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long. There were no long plane rides for Fulmer, all he had to do was walk across the field. </p>
<p id="yELoNZ">At the time of the trade, it seemed like an underwhelming return. The Tigers have done a pretty good job finding and developing undervalued pitching talent in the past few years, and so it made sense to withhold some judgement despite the fact that prior to the season Gipson-Long wasn’t ranked on the major Twins’ prospect lists. After digging into some video there’s a quite a bit more to like in Gipson-Long than was obvious in his 2022 numbers. Perhaps the Tigers could’ve done better with earlier offers for Fulmer rather than waiting until the final hour, but once again they identified some compelling ingredients to work with. </p>
<p id="jUvcm7">This may sound like a broken record for those that consistently read about Tigers prospects, but Gipson-Long is a high spin rate pitcher. That is something the organization has been looking to attain in their pitchers and they’ve been successful in recently developing those players. Clearly high spin rates are only a modest part of the equation with a pitcher, but in many cases they are a good marker of a pitcher who has more to offer than their minor league numbers might suggest.</p>
<p id="iwjrk5">The Twins selected Gipson-Long in the sixth round of the 2019 draft out of Mercer College. He’s a strike thrower who keeps his walk numbers down, but that can lead to hard contact, especially when his strikeout numbers are down like they are this year. This could be attributed to his promotion to Double-A, but his strikeout numbers in High-A were down a full strikeout per nine from his time in High-A last year. </p>
<p id="Y3ueNr">It’s easy to look at his age versus level, starting in High-A this year at 24 years old. That’s the way the Twins operate. In general, they bring arms along slowly and they are usually older than the average age of the level they play at. </p>
<p id="JUioh8">Gipson-Long works with three pitches: A fastball, slider, and changeup. His slider is the jewel of the three. There isn’t room to project much on his big frame, listed at 6’4”, 225 pounds. So the trick here will be to optimize what’s already there, whether that be pitch shape or usage. The Tigers have shown that ability with guys like Beau Brieske, Alex Lange, and Jason Foley. </p>
<h3 id="lH4ZQZ">Fastball</h3>
<p id="CqS1yk">This pitch is the one that Gipson-Long seems to struggle with the most. It’s 90-93 MPH on the stadium radar guns. I’ve been told he generally sits in the higher end of that velocity. He commands it to both corners, but it’s a hittable offering right now. It’s going to be the biggest point of development for the Tigers. It’s not an easy path to the majors with a fastball that doesn’t play well, particularly as a starter, but that’s not a death sentence. Through all the starts I watched, there was only a single whiff on this fastball. If the hitter swung, there was contact. Whether it be a foul ball, hard contact, or anything in between, Gipson-Long wasn’t missing many bats. </p>
<p id="OPvSRq">The question is if different sequencing could unlock more success. It’s possible, but he already changes speeds pretty well. He also moves it around the zone with decent command, it just gets hit. I think the key will be changing the shape. There are a few ways to do that, and the development team might go that route. In doing so they might be able to find a way to make the fastball play well to the top of the zone, based on his low arm slot. </p>
<p id="xhRig5">Personally, I have another theory. Based on his arm slot and the natural feel to throw his slider, it’s reasonable to believe that Gipson-Long is a natural supinator. That means he gets on the side of the ball and cut it when he releases it. Because of that if the Tigers can lean into that and try to teach him a cutter, that might be the way to go. That doesn’t mean abandoning the fastball, but adding a weapon that could generate more whiffs or weak contact could take pressure off his fastball to perform. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here’s Sawyer Gipson-Long’s fastball. It’s been 91-93 MPH on the stadium gun. Through this 7 inning start there was only one swing at the pitch that didn’t result in contact of some sort. Interested to see how it plays in other outings. <a href="https://t.co/EmBrFxUd8y">pic.twitter.com/EmBrFxUd8y</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1554868886394265601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2022</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Start number two. Early on SGL is living on the corners better and getting takes on the FB. Still guaranteed contact so far if the hitters swings at it. <a href="https://t.co/IXbLqdJPKO">pic.twitter.com/IXbLqdJPKO</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1554871794695299074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="kpLCi0">Slider</h3>
<p id="ezeNmS">This pitch rocks. I believe that’s the most professional way to put it. The slider is a big league ready pitch at 80-83 MPH. It’s a tight breaker that has a ton of horizontal movement across the zone with tons of depth. He can leave it over the zone, but even then it’s usually weak contact. When he throws it well, he can double or even triple up on it to get swings and misses. </p>
<p id="E5EkNS">Pitchers with this kind of pitch leading the way can tend to lean on it extremely heavily and neutralize it’s effectiveness. That’s not the case with Gipson-Long. He tends to use it a lot early on once his fastball starts to get hit, but once he settles in he does a nice job using it just enough to get whiffs and keep hitters off balance. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Newest Tiger Sawyer Gipson-Long’s calling card is his slider, you can see why <a href="https://t.co/7yg9zGAAw0">pic.twitter.com/7yg9zGAAw0</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1554854475801698304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2022</a>
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<p lang="de" dir="ltr">SGL slider whiff <a href="https://t.co/wySo73u3Bt">pic.twitter.com/wySo73u3Bt</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1554872729756729344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2022</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Three pitches, three strikes, all sliders, see you later. <a href="https://t.co/63R90JLHbp">pic.twitter.com/63R90JLHbp</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1554856532554223616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="OyoBqC">Changeup</h3>
<p id="KFLjRu">His changeup sits in basically the same velocity range as the slider, 79-82 MPH. He gets armside fade to both sides of the plate. He gets very good velocity separation off the fastball. This is the one pitch I never saw him put over the middle of the plate. He worked it corner to corner extremely well across several outings. In terms of usage it’s his third pitch. But he sequences it well to get swing and miss.</p>
<p id="ZqHvlL">To throw a changeup and get armside run requires pronation rather than supination. Put simply if the terms are new to you, pronation of the arm turns the thumb on the pitching hand down. Supination rotates it up. Hopefully that helps you visualize it. Natural supinators can run into issues finding a changeup. Gipson-Long seems to have done a nice job with that. While that might potentially poke a hole in my supinator theory, it doesn’t necessarily negate it. </p>
<p id="eVozFh">The biggest issue with the changeup is his arm action. Ideally the speed is the same whether you’re throwing a fastball, slider, changeup, screwball, or anything else. Gipson-Long appears to slow his arm down significantly. This could be to steer it, or it could be him trying to release it a certain way, among some other reasons. Either way this will make the pitch less deceptive as the hitters get better. The trick is always to maintain that fastball arm speed while using grip and release to take velocity off in a way the hitter can’t easily pick up.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">First look at Sawyer Gipson-Long’s changeup. He gets some armside on it. <a href="https://t.co/eQKp4F1Kw7">pic.twitter.com/eQKp4F1Kw7</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1554858676300779520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2022</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another changeup from Gipson-Long. One thing of note is he’s only thrown it to the armside corner and belt high in this outing. <a href="https://t.co/XHQsctlubG">pic.twitter.com/XHQsctlubG</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1554860307390107649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2022</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gipson-Long’s CH if flashing well. This is still the first outing I’ve watched, but it keeps getting better as this start goes on. <a href="https://t.co/EnqS8iNoKF">pic.twitter.com/EnqS8iNoKF</a></p>— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoothTrevor/status/1554865467893977093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2022</a>
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<h3 id="QqXSPp">Overall</h3>
<p id="ksVdcb">My initial reaction was to be skeptical of the return. I actually think this is a decent return on a reliever rental. He does have big spin numbers, which the Tigers like. And he has one major league ready pitch already. Even if the team tweaks the fastball just enough to be useful, he should be able to live on a slider heavy approach out of the bullpen, which is where I project him to land. </p>
<p id="ptq4kp">His command is his best non-slider asset. He can work all of his pitches to both sides of the plate and he shows great feel to sequence them. In short, he knows how to pitch. That’s a great asset to have. Even if his fastball never plays well, knowing how to pitch can make it play better. If it’s only ever a weak contact pitch, that can still be useful. In a relief role, he can comfortably lean into his best pitch, the slider, much more often, following in the steps of someone like Alex Lange.</p>
<p id="sAae1v">It’s clear that the Tigers will need to get in the lab and work on that fastball, but Gipson-Long comes equipped with two secondary offerings that should be able to play in the majors. Getting a guy that knows how to pitch, has a plus offering, and another secondary that projects out as average or better is a pretty decent haul based on the cost. </p>
<p id="1jEwi8">Now the onus is on the pitching development to figure out how to make Gipson-Long more successful. The numbers are not great. But I think it’s fair to say he has a skillset that should be performing better than the numbers indicate. The Tigers knew that when they traded for him, which likely means they have an idea on how to help. At the end of the day, unless something really clicks, this was a trade of a reliever for a future reliever. </p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2022/8/4/23290720/detroit-tigers-michael-fulmer-sawyer-gipson-long-analysisTrevor Hooth