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The 2025 season went from a fun and exciting year of growth to a near epic-disaster to a disappointing but acceptable result for the Tigers during a two-month span at the end of the summer into the fall. The Tigers 15.5 game lead in late July was surrendered in the last couple of days in the regular season, only for them to get revenge over the Guardians in the Wild Card round. Their season unfortunately ended in the Divisional round with a 3-2 series loss to the Mariners.
The Tigers now find themselves in an interesting predicament, with a solid young core and reinforcements on the way. The catch is that their ace, Tarik Skubal, is heading into his final season under contract without an extension in sight. Widely considered the best pitcher in baseball, Skubal has been the subject of trade rumors since the season ended, but this team's playoff contention chances diminish dramatically without him leading their rotation. What will the Tigers do? Only time will tell.
Despite playing in a pitcher's park, this lineup is solid and about to get a whole lot better thanks to internal upgrades from their farm system. The current core of hitters includes 25-year-old Riley Greene, 28-year-old Kerry Carpenter, and 26-year-old Spencer Torkelson, all in their primes. This group is supplemented by several above-average hitters, which include infielders Gleyber Torres, Colt Keith, and Zach McKinstry. The outfield is filled out with the likes of toolsy centerfielder Parker Meadows and switch-hitter Wenceel Perez. Catcher Dillon Dingler took a big step forward in 2026, snatching the starting job away from Jake Rogers.
This pitching staff revolves around Tarik Skubal; the left-handed ace finished 5th in AL MVP voting, appearing on 27 of the 30 ballots. Beyond him, the relevant fantasy arms include Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, and Reese Olson. Rotation depth might be a concern, but there are a few arms who could provide value, including Sawyer Gipson-Long, Troy Melton, and their KBO signing Drew Anderson. Jackson Jobe should also be ready to contribute at some point in the second half. The bullpen, while not loaded with names, should be effective at holding leads. Future Hall of Famer(?) Kenley Jansen joins the fold and should begin the year as the closer, while incumbents Will Vest and (re-signed) Kyle Finnegan will set him up. This trio could rotate in and out of roles depending on performance.
The most exciting aspect of this organization is the farm system, especially in the upper minors. Our #2 overall prospect, Kevin McGonigle, is one of the best, if not the best, pure hitters in the minor leagues. He has a chance of breaking camp with the Tigers with a solid spring, as there are infield positions that aren't set in stone. Max Clark, his partner in crime, is on the same developmental track and could see some centerfield time in Detroit in 2026. Josue Briceno, while no longer a long-term option at catcher, has a bat that should play as a first baseman/designated hitter in the near future. Max Anderson has also thrown his hat into the ring as an infield option for the Tigers with his second-half/AFL performance. Bryce Rainer could arguably have the highest ceiling of any Tigers hitting prospect and will look to cement his name among the top prospects in baseball with a full season of production in 2026. The Tigers' top pitching prospects aren't as well-known, but still dynasty-relevant. Jaden Hamm is in the upper minors and close to contributing, while Kelvis Salcedo is a rising name that you need to know before the rest of your league-mates.
This is an organization on the rise, with many strong fantasy values spread throughout; there are plenty of players to invest in.
Though a freak shoulder injury cost Rainer most of the 2025 season, everything that made him a blue-chip prospect remains the same: premium power, solid speed, a gifted glove, and a parent organization that has worked wonders with prep hitting talent in recent years. At just 19 years old, the shortstop was a 134 wRC+ player with an OPS of .831 in Single-A before getting hurt, all while being nearly two years younger than the average age at the level. Under the hood, his loud batted ball data speaks for itself: a 10.1% barrel rate, 53.9% hard hit rate, and a ridiculous 92.1 mph average exit velocity that would have placed him level with Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll had he been in the majors. Rainer may struggle with some swing-and-miss as he moves up through the system, but these growing pains should not dissuade you from viewing him the way the Tigers front office does: their shortstop of the future.
Jordan Yost
Double-dipping on prep hitting prospects might seem like a strange recommendation, but savvy dynasty managers take notice of organizational trends and act accordingly. The Tigers scout and develop high school hitters with the best of them, and Yost has all the signs of being yet another underrated prep signee who explodes in value a year out from his draft date. His advanced approach, tremendous barrel control, and elite speed should keep him close on the heels of Rainer on the way up through the farm system. Additionally, Yost’s ability to potentially pivot to center field will help him find a way into the Tigers lineup as soon as his bat looks ready for the big leagues. He has received a fraction of the buzz of names like Dax Kilby and Eli Willits since draft day, but he still has top-100 prospect potential, making him an ideal buy this offseason.
Dynasty Sells
Jace Jung
Though healthy in 2025, Jung spent most of the campaign in Triple-A, where he performed well at the plate (124 wRC+) but did not overly impress. Unfortunately for him, an impressive performance will be required in order to secure a long-term role in a Tigers lineup that looks to become exponentially more talented with each passing season. His struggles at the big league level with increased strikeouts and a higher groundball rate have kept him from making much of an impact, either in real life or for fantasy purposes. The likes of McGonigle, Anderson, and Lee, all pushing for major league debuts in 2026, also mean that Jung has little room for error. He still holds some name recognition within dynasty circles, making this off-season the ideal time to move on.
Sawyer Gipson-Long
The Tigers have a number of pitchers floating in and around the fringes of their rotation, and while Gipson-Long has shown flashes of consistency in Triple-A, his age (28) and the lack of velocity on his fastball (92.1 mph) make it unlikely that he emerges as a solidified starter for Detroit over the next couple of campaigns. He does get excellent extension out of his 6’ 4” frame, but opposing batters hit .368 against his heater last season, which was his most used pitch by far at 28%. Add in the lingering neck issues that plagued him throughout 2025, and it becomes difficult to project Gipson-Long as much more than a low-leverage relief option long term.
Top Fantasy Prospects
Players are in order of their fantasy prospect ranking from our September end of season list.
The baseball world has a two-horse race on its hands for top prospect honors, and while Konnor Griffin appears to have the support of the majority, McGonigle may in fact be more deserving. The 5’10, 187 lb infielder came into 2025 with a reputation for being one of the more polished hitters in Detroit’s system, but with some slight skepticism surrounding his long-term power potential. McGonigle answered those questions resoundingly, putting up video game numbers in both High-A and Double-A. On the season, the 21-year-old recorded an eye-popping 182 wRC+, thanks to a slash line of .305/.408/.583, an impressive 19 home runs, and a higher walk rate (14.9%) than strikeout rate (11.6%) at every stop. McGonigle’s dominance at the plate carried over into the Arizona Fall League as well, where he registered an OPS of 1.210 with five home runs in just 19 games. His hit tool and plate approach are also truly elite, as evidenced by the exceptional zone contact rate (85.1%) and chase rate (20.8%) he posted in 46 games at Double-A, while still being over three years younger than the league-average age. He heads into 2026 as one of baseball’s best prospects and as a strong contender to skip Triple-A and break camp with the Tigers. - Lucas Morel
A year ago, the conversation about Clark focused on his advanced feel for hitting, strong approach, blazing speed, and solid defense. The lone question in the profile was about his power, but he started answering it, especially when he got to Double-A. In 68 games in High-A, he managed to send seven balls out of the park, but his ground ball rate remained high at nearly 50%. His next 43 games following his promotion saw another seven home runs, but the more impressive feat was cutting his GB% all the way down to just 35%. A 20 HR season might still be among Clark's upper end of outcomes, but combine that with his ability to impact the fantasy game in every other category, and Clark's fantasy upside could now rival that of his real-life ceiling. He'll need to show the launch angle improvements were no fluke, but as a name already pushing top 10 fantasy prospect status, continued success could see him forcing his way into the top 5 discussion. - Kyle Sonntag
Josue Briceno is a premium prospect due to his 6’4, 200+ lb frame, which translated into plus game power last season, when he bashed 20 bombs across High-A and Double-A. While he didn’t have the same success in the upper minors, it’s worth noting he was only 20 years old, and still held his own when it comes to his reputation of not striking out while taking a ton of walks. It remains to be seen whether the young stud will be a major league catcher. He received more 1B reps in the lower minors than he did behind the plate, but then that trend reversed upon promotion. While fellow prospect Thayron Liranzo had a down year, it’s worth noting he appears to be getting almost exclusively catcher reps while not DHing. All in all, Josue Briceno is an interesting prospect in that he may be hard to pry from some GMs’ hands, but could be underrated in other leagues due to the bigger names in the Tigers’ system. Regardless of where he fits defensively, Briceno is likely to step into a potent offense in Detroit, where he could generate plenty of counting stats for dynasty owners. - Darren Eisenhauer
Director of Amateur Scouting, proud to lead and share the team's work. | Check out Path to the Show on Bally Sports Live and College Baseball Now everywhere! | Grateful for family, the Vols, and everyone who reads Prospects Live. | For His Glory.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
