Baseball America's Tigers Top 10

[PuNk42AE]

Today the Tigers Top 10 was released by BA.
BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Rankings: Organization Top 10 Prospects: 2013 Detroit Tigers Top 10 Prospects

TOP TEN PROSPECTS
1. Nick Castellanos, 3b/of
2. Avisail Garcia, of
3. Bruce Rondon, rhp
4. Jake Thompson, rhp
5. Austin Schotts, of
6. Danry Vasquez, of
7. Tyler Collins, of
8. Casey Crosby, lhp
9. Eugenio Suarez, ss/2b
10. Adam Wilk, lhp

BEST TOOLS
Best Hitter for Average - Nick Castellanos
Best Power Hitter - Avisail Garcia
Best Strike Zone Discipline - Nick Castellanos
Fastest Baserunner - Austin Schotts
Best Athlete - Austin Schotts
Best Fastball - Bruce Rondon
Best Curveball - Casey Crosby
Best Slider - Bruce Rondon
Best Changeup - Adam Wilk
Best Control - Adam Wilk
Best Defensive Catcher - James McCann
Best Defensive Infielder - Dixon Machado
Best Infield Arm - Dixon Machado
Best Defensive OF - Daniel Fields
Best Outfield Arm - Avisail Garcia

PROJECTED 2016 LINEUP
Catcher - Alex Avila
First Base - Prince Fielder
Second Base - Jhonny Peralta
Third Base - Nick Castellanos
Shortstop - Eugenio Suarez
Left Field - Austin Jackson
Center Field - Austin Schotts
Right Field - Avisail Garcia
Designated Hitter - Miguel Cabrera
No. 1 Starter - Justin Verlander
No. 2 Starter - Max Scherzer
No. 3 Starter - Doug Fister
No. 4 Starter - Drew Smyly
No. 5 Starter - Rick Porcello
Closer - Bruce Rondon

[TStar]

Pretty disappointing that McCann couldn't beat out Adam Wilk to squeeze into the Top 10. I was really hoping for a lot more from this kid.

[JayVee]

Jhonny Peralta at 2nd base?!?

[will the thrill]

Can't see any reason Peralta would still be around then.

Kinda awesome and sad that our rotation projects to be the exact same in 4 years

[tiger337]

I really hope Peralta is not going to be around in 2016. Lots of promising outfielders on the list which is good because they'll probably need a couple.

[irvink]

And no mention of Steven Moya, who I assumed was a top 5-8 prospect in the system. They must have forgotten him bc of his injury.

[Nastradamus]

The idea of Adam Wilk in our top 10 is scary. I don't ever expect him to contribute much of anything.

[Motor City Sonics]

The idea of Adam Wilk in our top 10 is scary. I don't ever expect him to contribute much of anything.

Seems to me that beyond the top 3, there isn't that much to get excited about.

[pyrotigers]

I know we have this argument every year, but man outside of the top 1 the tigers farm system is god awful

[PuNk42AE]

Seems to me that beyond the top 3, there isn't that much to get excited about.

#4 in Thompson and #5 in Schotts are pretty promising after being last years top two draftee's. Showed promise in their short seasons with the Tigers minor league teams.

[hueytaxi]

Tyler Collins also finished the season above expectations taking the closer role on Rondon's departure. I would have placed him as Lakeland's MVP for the complete season. I haven't seen Suarez bat in over a year, but in his appearances at Lakeland in 2011, he was a spectacular base runner. So I look at the top 10 with promises of a bright future.

Edit Screwed up the identities of Collins and Clark here....

[PuNk42AE]

There is Talent in the top 10, i'd say about 7 have a good chance at smelling the MLB level for a bit. Of course it isn't a ton of superstars, but how many teams have that, expecially when they have been drafting after the 1st round for 3+ years.

[gzbach]

The idea of Adam Wilk in our top 10 is scary. I don't ever expect him to contribute much of anything.

I think Wilk in the top 10 should make us worry more about the "experts" at Baseball America than about the Tigers' farmhands.

[Motor City Sonics]

Some of you are so completely delusional. The Tigers minor league system is awful at this point. They have Nick, Avasail and Bruce and then a few 18 year olds that probably won't ever make it beyond AA. Be honest with yourselves. This is the reason the team needs to do everything to win in 2013/14.......go ahead and trade Nick and a couple of other guys and go get David Price. Just do it.

[Oblong]

I always hear that our farm system is weak beyond a few top guys we overpaid for. Yet it never seems to stop us from making a move we need to make.

I ignore these anyway. What did it look like in 2010? In 2008?

[alwaysthrowheat]

The farm system doesn't really worry me. At which positions in the next few years will the Tigers need a minor leaguer to fill a void? RF, maybe? SS? 2B? I'm sure they'll either trade/acquire via FA some helpful players like they always do. System depth is overrated when you've got a nucleus of 6 position players and 4/5 SP.

Kansas City can have the best farm system all they want, how's that working out so far?

[cruzer1]

The best farm systems don't get to play for the World Series. The best major league teams do.

[tiger337]

I still follow the farm system because it's fun. It matters less now though because Illitch spends so much money and they plug holes that way. They are the Yankees of the midwest.

[Scottish caveman]

The big problem to me is the lack of depth in the system....they can have some pretty good prospects for dealing or development, but the big holes at positions force them to over pay on free agent...

[alwaysthrowheat]

The big problem to me is the lack of depth in the system....they can have some pretty good prospects for dealing or development, but the big holes at positions force them to over pay on free agent...

Like who in the last 5 years? No one forced them to over pay on Fielder.

[Yoda]

I still follow the farm system because it's fun. It matters less now though because Illitch spends so much money and they plug holes that way. They are the Yankees of the midwest.

Fielder and Martinez. The vast majority of the team is comprised of players they either developed or traded for using players they developed. They didn't just go out and sign the entire team.

[tiger337]

Fielder and Martinez. The vast majority of the team is comprised of players they either developed or traded for using players they developed. They didn't just go out and sign the entire team.

Neither did the Yankees. In fact, their great World Series teams of the late 90s were more homegrown than the Tigers. The Tigers just signed Hunter and now Illitch is casually asking when are they going to sign Sanchez. If all goes well with ownership, they'll be able to keep all their stars too. That's just like the Yankees. Is that a bad thing?

[ROMAD1]

The big problem to me is the lack of depth in the system....they can have some pretty good prospects for dealing or development, but the big holes at positions force them to over pay on free agent...

I hope this problem is a thing of the past if they don't lose their #1 pick every year they are trying to make a run at the World Series. They appear to be very good at developing tradeable commodities but less good at getting MLB ready players for themselves out of the draft. The Ryan Perry pick...if they could do that over...

[Porcelain God]

Don't forget that two of the top ten now play for the Marlins.

[Eric Cioe]

I don't even know why they bother projecting a lineup so far into the future. I mean, it's absolutely pointless.

[tiger337]

I don't even know why they bother projecting a lineup so far into the future. I mean, it's absolutely pointless.

Tigers projected line-up for 2012 (four years ago):

C. Laird
1B. Cabrera
2B. Sizemore
SS. Iorg
3B. Larish
LF. Ramirez
CF. Granderson
RF. Wells

P Verlander
P Porcello
P Bonderman
P Crosby
P Galarraga
CL Perry

[alwaysthrowheat]

Tigers projected line-up for 2012 (four years ago):

C. Laird
1B. Cabrera
2B. Sizemore
SS. Iorg
3B. Larish
LF. Ramirez
CF. Granderson
RF. Wells

P Verlander
P Porcello
P Bonderman
P Crosby
P Galarraga
CL Perry

That's wonderful.

[STLTiger69]

I think Wilk in the top 10 should make us worry more about the "experts" at Baseball America than about the Tigers' farmhands.

Here's two compete minor league careers of two different players, one is Jacob Turner and one is Adam Wilk,....

Year	Age	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	CG	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
3 Seasons		17	14	.548	3.12	63	62	1	358.0	319	124	22	101	3	285	1.173	8.0	0.6	2.5	7.2	2.82

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/17/2012.


OR

Year	Age	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	CG	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
4 Seasons		30	23	.566	2.66	83	83	5	493.1	430	146	39	73	1	385	1.020	7.8	0.7	1.3	7.0	5.27

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/17/2012.


Did you know which one is still playing for the Tigers?

[RandyMarsh]

Here's two compete minor league careers of two different players, one is Jacob Turner and one is Adam Wilk,....

Year	Age	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	CG	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
3 Seasons		17	14	.548	3.12	63	62	1	358.0	319	124	22	101	3	285	1.173	8.0	0.6	2.5	7.2	2.82

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/17/2012.


OR

Year	Age	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	CG	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
4 Seasons		30	23	.566	2.66	83	83	5	493.1	430	146	39	73	1	385	1.020	7.8	0.7	1.3	7.0	5.27

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/17/2012.


Did you know which one is still playing for the Tigers?

Those minor league stats are cute and all but you left out the fact that one guy was born in 1991 and continuously pitched against guys that were older and more experienced than him and the other guy was born in 1987 and pitched against guys with equal or less experience than him.

[alwaysthrowheat]

STL, minor league numbers aren't very important in determining big league success. And, what Marsh said.

[keyser343]

I don't even know why they bother projecting a lineup so far into the future. I mean, it's absolutely pointless.

The guy who did the Tigers top 10 said they tried to stop doing the projected line ups a few years ago, but received a backlash concerning that change.

[PuNk42AE]

I don't even know why they bother projecting a lineup so far into the future. I mean, it's absolutely pointless.

I think they should just change it to a prospects lineup instead of the future. It's rarely going to be over 50% correct due to Trades/FA signings/ect.

[Scottish caveman]

Like who in the last 5 years? No one forced them to over pay on Fielder.

To get any player to sign....I. Rodriguez, Ordonez, Fielder and even T. Hunter...they have had to over pay to sign and retain .

[tiger337]

The guy who did the Tigers top 10 said they tried to stop doing the projected line ups a few years ago, but received a backlash concerning that change.

I wrote a small piece about the Tigers in a fantasy magazine one year and projecting the future line-up was one of the things they had me do. The editor told me that he knew it was useless, but it's something that readers really want to see.

[TheCouga]

To get any player to sign....I. Rodriguez, Ordonez, Fielder and even T. Hunter...they have had to over pay to sign and retain .

I don't really think they overpaid for any of those guys. Pudge ended up being well worth the money. Hunter really only went for like 2 million more than I expected. Fielder got pretty much a similar contract to Teixeira, except a few years later...and Fielder is a better player than Teixeira.

[Scottish caveman]

I don't really think they overpaid for any of those guys. Pudge ended up being well worth the money. Hunter really only went for like 2 million more than I expected. Fielder got pretty much a similar contract to Teixeira, except a few years later...and Fielder is a better player than Teixeira.

I'm not saying it was a bad option to sign the players, but I do think they had to pay above the norm to attract these players.....I had forgotten to add , K. Rogers to the list. My only concern was a lack of options in the minor league system forced them to turn to these FA's....but I can't argue with the results of the signings....I just wish talent from the farm system was an addition to the FA's.

[RobSk]

I wrote a small piece about the Tigers in a fantasy magazine one year and projecting the future line-up was one of the things they had me do. The editor told me that he knew it was useless, but it's something that readers really want to see.

I'd hate them slightly less if they called them "position by position current top of the organizational depth chart".

Rob

[TheCouga]

I'm not saying it was a bad option to sign the players, but I do think they had to pay above the norm to attract these players.....I had forgotten to add , K. Rogers to the list. My only concern was a lack of options in the minor league system forced them to turn to these FA's....but I can't argue with the results of the signings....I just wish talent from the farm system was an addition to the FA's.

I think it is, though.

We have Jackson, Avila, Smyly, Scherzer, Dirks, Porcello and Fister all at very low cost due to our farm system.

I think we're doing fine. We have an incredibly young club that should be together for another 2-3 years. We'd have more prospects, but DD seems to like trading people rather than keeping them. I think it's a good idea, as, in today's game, I think prospects are overvalued. They have the promise of being very good for very cheap for 6 years of team control, but GMs are forgetting that very few of them work out. Better to just ship them off when their stock is high and get players who have already proved themselves in the majors in return.

[Oblong]

They definitely had to over pay for Ivan Rodriguez. Nobody else was offering 2 years, we had to go 4 with an option for a 5th. People weren't knocking on Maggs door either. That's not to say the contracts weren't worth it but at the time they were absolutely risky and the Tigers had to go above market to get them to pay attention.

[tiger337]

I thought they came to Detroit because of Fernando Vina.