It’s your Detroit Tigers
Jonathan Mayo@JonathanMayo Jim Callis@JimCallisMLB Sam Dykstra@SamDykstraMiLBShare
It’s time to crown a new king.
After a three-year run for the Orioles atop our preseason farm system rankings, they’ve stepped off the throne, making way for the Tigers. The O’s had slipped from the top spot in our 2024 midseason rankings as they’d graduated a number of prospects to the big leagues, and they’re now in the middle of the pack, a testament to just how hard it is to compete annually and maintain a top-level system. Now it’s time to see how long the Tigers, with their six Top 100 prospects and deep stable of hitters, can stay atop our farm system rankings.
Team Top 30 Prospects lists:
ALE: BAL | BOS | NYY | TB | TOR
ALC: CLE | CWS | DET | KC | MIN
ALW: ATH | HOU | LAA | SEA | TEX
NLE: ATL | MIA | NYM | PHI | WSH
NLC: CHC | CIN | MIL | PIT | STL
NLW: AZ | COL | LAD | SD | SF
Two of the teams in our top five have managed to do just that. The Rays could have easily landed at No. 1 since they continually find talent via the Draft, internationally and in shrewd trades. The Dodgers always seem to land near the top of this list — this is their seventh straight top 10 placement (covering preseason and midseason rankings).
Rounding out the top five are the Red Sox, still very highly regarded even after trading Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery to the White Sox in the Garret Crochet deal, and the rapidly rising Mariners with their seven Top 100 bats.
More from MLB Pipeline:
• Spring Breakout | Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage
Dig in to our new farm system rankings, and as it’s often said, this is a list that makes one team and its fans happy and leaves 29 others with questions. Enjoy!
1. Detroit Tigers
2024 midseason rank: 6
2024 preseason rank: 5
2023 midseason rank: 13
2023 preseason rank: 25
Top 100 prospects: Jackson Jobe, RHP (No. 5); Max Clark, OF (No. 6); Kevin McGonigle, SS/2B (No. 28); Bryce Rainer, SS (No. 52); Thayron Liranzo, C/1B (No. 81); Josue Briceño, 1B/C (No. 94)
The Tigers are one of five organizations with six or more Top 100 prospects, one of two with three in the top 30 and the only with two in the top six. An already strong core of Jobe, Clark and McGonigle was supplemented last season by Rainer’s addition via the 11th overall pick in the Draft and late-year breakouts by Liranzo and Briceño. The depth doesn’t stop there. Jace Jung, now healthy after last season’s wrist issues, is competing for the Major League job at third base, Hao-Yu Lee has a solid track record of hitting across all levels and Trey Sweeney still maintains prospect status after serving as the club’s starting shortstop during its postseason run. Sure, Jobe carries a lot of weight for the pitching group, but Jaden Hamm is looking to build on a breakout 2024, Troy Melton and Ty Madden look like Major League contributors this year and ’24 Draft picks Owen Hall, Ethan Schiefelbein and Josh Randall (among others) give the arms some extra length. The good times could continue to roll in Detroit.
