by Holly Horning
Today, it’s about quick hits – bits of news that catch my radar during the week as well as connecting the dots re ongoing stories. Even the quirky.
So let’s get to it! Here are the most interesting topics that hit my radar over the past week………..
We continue to get further proof that the new player development system is working. Before Ryan Garko came on board, the Tigers would place recently drafted prospects on the top 100 prospect lists, only for them to rarely advance in the standings and the majority of them fall off in 1 – 1.5 years.
Currently, we’re seeing more and more prospects make the list – and move up in the rankings. And they are sticking there.
The Tigers now have all their listed prospects in the top 50 of MLB’s Pipeline standings. (Colt Keith is no longer eligible for the list.) There are multiple systems that rank prospects and most of them do 2-3 rankings each year.
In this particular one, Jace Jung moved up to #48 from #90. Max Clark moved up from #16 to #13.
Jackson Jobe made the biggest move from #25 to #10. He is also ranked as the top pitching prospect. Last year, he was #2 in the pitching category.
He is hitting 3-digits consistently in his delivery and has 4 solid pitches in his arsenal.
It’s interesting to note that Paul Skenes who took the top honor just had his MLB debut. Could Jobe see Detroit at some point this year?
Speaking of prospects, several national analysts are reporting that Jace Jung is ready for Detroit.
We hear Scott Harris saying that they don’t want to promote prematurely and aim for setting their prospects up for success. However, the worsening problems with Javier Baez (those last 2 games don’t count) may force their hand to move sooner rather than later.
Forget that A. J. Hinch said Javy is the team’s SS will play “a lot.” He’s never going to embarrass a player and public criticism isn’t going to make him play better. Probably worse.
Jung is reported to have adapted to 3B well. If he comes up to man the hot corner, current 3Ber Gio Urshela could move to SS, where he has played on and off for 5 seasons. And Zach McKinstry could spell both of them.
But if Baez can’t improve this season, he will see less playing time. The Tigers will do it quietly and slowly.
As you’ve already read here, things have to be coming to a head between the starting pitchers and the positional players. The Tigers have 3 elite SPs right now – Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson and Jack Flaherty. Olson has 0 wins despite his outstanding stats. Flaherty just got his 1st win in 9 starts. And the glaring lack of wins for them is all due to the complete lack of run support.
You’ve got to think that they (or maybe the entire starting rotation) have had a talk or two already with Chris Fetter and A. J. Hinch. If I was pitching that well and had nothing in the win column yet, I’d be pretty upset.
Eventually, this is going to take a toll – both with the pitchers and the entire team – if an effort is not made to correct the situation. How long can either Olson or Flaherty keep pitching as they do while knowing it will probably be in vain.
It may foster resentment within the clubhouse.
But also consider that when the Tigers need to sign a starting pitcher for next year, many are going to remember that the Tigers don’t give their pitchers run support.
The lack of offense can easily stain and spread for a long time if this issue is not addressed. And soon.
Which one of these stories resonated the most with you?
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THE BEST COMMENT FROM YESTERDAY’S BLOG:
from wdadams98c431b287: “Jobe is untouchable IMO. Beyond him I can see trading one of those mentioned, or Flaherty. Greenberg and Harris won’t move a pitcher unless they like the offensive return, and the pitching development team is performing their function well enough that our pitching depth wouldn’t be damaged.”
What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
- A comparison between run support for Tarik Skubal and Reese Olson.
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Pitchers come here as free agents to get paid, fixed and then traded to a winning team. Having three players in Top 100 is the average amount every team should have as Clark, Jackson and Jung continue to develop.
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If Jung is really worthy of promotion somebody has to go and is it realistic to assume one could be Javy or could it be McKinstry or Urshella cuz’ for sure its not Wenceel.. Assuming, it’s not Javy, has everyone been watching his play, approach, clutch and exceptional defense for a lot more than two games. He approaches the plate to do damage and change the game rather than trying to avoid a strikeout.
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Indeed naldo. I see glimpses of the great player I saw out here in IL from 2017-21 out here with the Cubs this weekend. The incredible athleticism is still there in the field. I do still have doubt about him regaining the consistency at the dish and hope the AZ series is the start of a real long term rebound.
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I have played or coached baseball for 40 years, and never once did I observe a pitcher complain to his offensive teammates about lack of run support. In fact, I observed the opposite– hitters apologized to the pitcher for lack of run support and thanked the pitcher for doing a great job. The hitters are pressing when Flaherty and Olson pitch because they desperately want to break the cycle.
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Hi, Jim – My point was about pitchers talking to their coaches, not their teammates. In the past, it’s been known that certain pitchers complained to Dave Dombrowski about the lack of support they were getting, esp. in the field. Thanks for sharing your experience! – Holly
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A pitcher’s WHIP and ERA are much more useful for evaluation purposes than W-L numbers. And I’m sure Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson, and Jack Flaherty (and their agents) know their true worth. As professionals I suspect they’ll all keep on keeping on.
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I hate to suggest this, but we could use our plethora of strong pitching as a tool to help us trade away Baez—in other words, trade away a couple of pitchers and include Baez in the deal. Teams that don’t want Baez’s contract but do want some pitching might be willing to take both. But we might have to eat part of Baez’s contract.
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