Monday, October 12

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DETROIT -- Nine players made their Major League debut with the Tigers this year, including three former Top 10 prospects in their system. That’s a feature, not a bug. And more are on the way.

As easy it would be to chalk up the rush of prospects that moved up the pipeline to Detroit as a product of an injury-plagued Major League roster, it’s more than that. Scott Harris has made opportunities for prospects a defining philosophy of his moves and strategies since becoming president of baseball operations in 2023. Injuries opened spots sooner than expected for rookies like Ben Malgeri, Brett Callahan, Eduardo Valencia and John Peck, but the Tigers wanted to evaluate them, especially down the stretch.

That’s good news for the next wave, starting with hitting prospects Zyhir Hope, Josue Briceño and Max Anderson.

“I expect them all to contribute to our team next year,” Harris said at season’s end. “When I talk about this next group of players that are on the doorstep of getting to the big leagues -- but not just getting to the big leagues, playing with the players that are already here -- that's the group right there. And then there's a group behind them that are coming. 

“When I talk about the vision that we've been working so hard to create, it's right there. We’ve got to do a better job of translating that talent into wins, and we will. I'm very confident we will. But I expect all three of those players to be in the big leagues next year. They’ve got to earn it, for sure. Just like a year ago, I sat here and said I expected Max [Clark] and Kevin [McGonigle] to impact this team in 2026. I feel similarly about those players.”

Where does that trio fit in the Tigers’ picture for 2027? Here’s a look at each:

Max Anderson, 2B/3B (Tigers’ No. 10 prospect)

The way Anderson hit at Triple-A Toledo all season, it was surprising he didn’t get a call this year. A positional skill set that overlaps with Hao-Yu Lee played a part in that. With second baseman Gleyber Torres now a free agent, that should no longer be an issue for the second-round pick from the same 2023 Draft that featured Clark and McGonigle. 

Anderson, who turns 25 years old in February, crushes lefties (.341 average and 1.022 OPS at Toledo this year, .341 average and 1.017 OPS between Toledo and Double-A Erie in 2025), uses the whole field and provides a tough at-bat, particularly against spin. He’ll have to adjust to big league velocity and prove himself defensively, much like Lee did, but the Tigers resisted trade overtures on him around the 2025 Deadline for a reason.

Zyhir Hope, OF (Tigers’ No. 1 prospect, MLB Pipeline’s No. 26 overall)

Hope was the prized prospect from the Dodgers in the Tarik Skubal trade, and he backed it up with a strong finish at Double-A. The Tigers sent him to the Arizona Fall League -- his second AFL stint in three years -- to get him more at-bats and help advance his timeline, but he’ll still need time at Triple-A to round out his development, much like Clark did.

Hope has an impressive combination of left-handed power and speed in a running back’s frame. The latter has been a constant since turning pro, but the power emerged big time this year with a 29-homer season from a smooth, seemingly effortless swing. It’s not hard to project him into right field alongside Clark and Riley Greene by the end of next summer. What that means for Kerry Carpenter likely depends on how he bounces back from a disappointing 2026 season that ended in July with a left heel injury.

Josue Briceño, C/1B (Tigers’ No. 4 prospect, MLB Pipeline’s No. 86 overall)

Briceño might have been ready to compete for a job next Spring Training if not for right wrist surgery that cost him the first half of the Double-A season. He hit eight homers in just 17 games at Erie to earn an August promotion to Toledo. That power is massive for the 22-year-old Venezuelan, who won the Arizona Fall League’s Triple Crown in 2024.

Like Hope, Briceño needs time at Triple-A to adjust to advanced pitching, but the ability is there. His fit in Detroit depends on his position. He had a near-even split between catcher and first base this year, but he has to work to prove he can be more than a backup option behind the plate. The Tigers appear set at catcher with Dillon Dingler and Valencia, but if Briceño can hold down first base alongside Spencer Torkelson while providing late-game flexibility at catcher, he could forge a valuable role.

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