| Before Riley Greene became an All-Star, the Tigers outfielder gave a glimpse of his potential in the Futures Game three years ago, slapping two singles at Coors Field. The Tigers can hope Max Clark (Detroit’s No. 1 prospect) and Hao-Yu Lee (No. 13 prospect) can follow a similar path. When players voted on Greene as an outfield reserve, he became the first position player to come up through the Tigers’ system and represent the club at the All-Star Game since Alex Avila in 2011. All of the Tigers All-Star hitters since then – Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Jhonny Peralta, Torii Hunter, Victor Martinez, Ian Kinsler, J.D. Martinez, Jose Iglesias and Justin Upton — had been brought in from other organizations, where they had broken into the big leagues. Greene’s arrival as an All-Star is a big step. While the strength of this rebuilt Tigers roster is pitching, bolstered by a coaching group that has helped Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson and others emerge as front-line starters, the Tigers need to find and produce impact position players in their farm system. Clark became the latest face of that effort when the Tigers drafted him third overall last summer, the first Draft under president of baseball operations Scott Harris and amateur scouting director Mark Conner. After an up-and-down start to his first full pro season at Single-A Lakeland, Clark has put his stamp on the Florida State League. He entered Tuesday batting .329 (25-for-76) with four homers, 20 RBIs and a .951 OPS over his last 21 games, since June 9, and torched the Tampa Tarpons – the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate – for a 9-for-19 series last week that included two homers, a double and nine RBIs, capped by a five-RBI performance Saturday. |
| Max Clark getting the beat on a ball. MLB.com |
| Clark’s recent surge has sent him up the prospect rankings as well. He moved up to No. 10 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list last week. His Futures Game appearance could potentially serve as a prelude to a midseason promotion to High-A West Michigan. Lee doesn’t precisely fit the homegrown Tigers prospect rule; he was a Phillies amateur signing before Detroit acquired him in the Michael Lorenzen trade in August 2023. However, he has taken a huge leap since joining the Tigers system, from his first double-digit homer season to improved use of his speed on the basepaths, something he prioritized heading into the season and demonstrated by going 12 for 12 on stolen bases. His .881 OPS entering Tuesday is his highest for any extended stretch. “He’s an explosive player,” SeaWolves manager Gabe Alvarez said early this season. “He’s fearless out there. That’s the best way I can describe him: He’s not scared out there. He likes to run, he likes to be aggressive, and he’s played outstanding defense.” He’s doing all this while ranking as one of the younger players in the league. Lee turned 21 in February, and has yet to face a pitcher younger than him this season, according to Baseball-Reference. |
| MINOR LEAGUE UPDATE |
| Triple-A Toledo: The Mud Hens are in Omaha this week after splitting six games against Columbus. Dillon Dingler (No. 12 prospect) went 5-for-20 for the week with a double, home run and four RBIs. Ty Madden (No. 5 prospect) struck out six Clippers against four walks over six innings of three-run ball in a no-decision Thursday. Double-A Erie: The SeaWolves host Yankees-affiliated Somerset beginning Tuesday night after going 2-4 against Akron. Jackson Jobe (Tigers No. 2 prospect, MLB Pipeline’s No. 11 prospect overall) struck out eight batters over five innings with a run on three hits allowed in his first Double-A outing since May 1. Jake Holton, who was a 10th-round pick in the 2019 Draft, has gone 9-for-24 with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs so far this month. High-A West Michigan: The Whitecaps are on the road in Wisconsin this week after splitting six games against Great Lakes. Jaden Hamm (No. 18 prospect) tossed five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts last Tuesday. Seth Stephenson, who was a 7th-round pick in the 2022 Draft, has gone 6-for-20 with a double, a home run, three RBIs, five walks and seven stolen bases. Single-A Lakeland: The Flying Tigers went 4-2 against Tampa. Jace Jung (No. 3 prospect) went 3-for-10 with a double, one homer and three RBIs over four games in a rehab assignment on his way back to Triple-A Toledo. Piggyback reliever Jake Miller, a 2nd-round pick in the 2022 Draft, tossed five scoreless innings with three strikeouts and a walk last Thursday, for his fourth straight win, lowering his ERA to 1.25 to go with a 6-1 record. |