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ERIE, Pa. -- Zyhir Hope was a relative unknown to many Tigers fans when the Tarik Skubal trade went down. He was a Top 25 prospect, but for all but hardcore fans, he was sight unseen. To at least a few Tigers players, however, he was a familiar face. “Summer circuit in high school, we actually played against each other,” Kevin McGonigle said. “From high school, I always remembered him because of that left-handed swing and the power he had. “And of course, he destroyed some balls against us in High-A.” McGonigle is not just being kind. “He hit a ball at our place out of the stadium,” McGonigle said. “It went in the parking lot. I was just shocked.” It was May 24 of last season, a Saturday night in West Michigan. And with an easy left-handed swing, Hope hit a ball over everything beyond right field at LMCU Ballpark. “It was 114 [miles per hour] at 30 [degrees] off the bat,” Tigers’ No. 1 prospect Max Clark recalled. “And he was 20 at the time. He cleared both fences and it landed in the parking lot. To this day, that’s probably one of the top three homers I’ve ever seen hit in the Minor Leagues. It’s between him and [Cardinals rookie slugger] Joshua Báez, [who] hit one onto the parking garage in Toledo.” |
Hope, ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 28 overall prospect and the Tigers’ No. 2, was already muscular back then, but he was just starting to tap into his power. He hit 13 homers for the Great Lakes Loons in 2025, then a career high. He has doubled that total this season, including three so far for Double-A Erie. That kind of enormous power from a seemingly effortless swing immediately stands out, and explains why Hope is in line to become the Tigers’ top prospect once Clark graduates. He looks like a running back with his short, muscular build. “Hope’s the whole package,” Clark said. “It’s an elite bat, elite defense, elite speed. It’s so fun to watch him play, and he’s also probably one of the top five nicest guys I met across the Minor Leagues.” That personality stands out almost as quickly. “Always happy. Always got a smile on his face,” said Tigers catching prospect Thayron Liranzo (No. 15), who first met him in the Dodgers’ organization two years ago before becoming his teammate in Erie after the trade. “His attitude and energy are incredible. He smiles, you smile, and then you have a good conversation. He's one of the guys you can have a good conversation with and learn a lot from.” |
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Liranzo went through the same move two years ago as part of the return in the Jack Flaherty trade. So when Hope arrived in Erie after spending the season at Double-A Tulsa, Liranzo took it upon himself to make sure the move was easy. Hope grew up in a military family and moved around a few times as a kid. It has turned out to be a preparation for life as a prospect, having been traded twice and jumped between organizations, leagues and levels. “It's something about the baseball world that kind of brings you together,” Hope said last week after a game for the SeaWolves. “The game brings everyone together, so it makes the connection easy. Everything's been smooth.” After a slow start in Erie, that adjustment is translating in the field and at the plate. After batting 1-for-27 over his first seven games with the SeaWolves, Hope went 7-for-23 with three extra-base hits and six RBIs over his next six games, including a four-hit game with a double, a home run and three RBIs last Tuesday against New Hampshire. He walked three times and stole three bases in Sunday’s series finale against the Fisher Cats, then began this week’s road trip to Altoona by crushing a home run to straightaway center field on Tuesday. “It's fun. It's good baseball in this organization,” Hope said. “It's fun just having this opportunity to be a part of a great organization. I'm excited.” It helps that his approach is as free and easy as his swing. He knows launch angles, swings and approaches, but he doesn’t let it overcomplicate his game or his persona. “For me, I'm not going to say I don't care about stats, but I don't want the stats to dictate who I am as a person,” he said. “For me, I'm going out there and just playing ball, no stress, no nothing. I'm just out there being free and being myself.” The Tigers have built chemistry up and down their organization that way from players who came up through their system together. Hope appears set to fit in just fine. Said Liranzo: “I met him back in '24. We never had the chance to be on the same team like right now. But from the day I met him, just the same exact kid. The guy's like my brother.” |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Kevin McGonigle’s 79 walks set a new franchise record for a rookie. Whose record did he break? A. Steve Kemp B. Harvey Kuenn C. Jason Thompson D. Lou Whitaker |
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