Tigers see largest drop in Baseball America's midseason farm rankings
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Tigers' farm system has spent the past few years near the top of the majors, boasting top-end talent that has started making its way to Comerica Park.
Some of that talent, led by Kevin McGonigle, has graduated, leaving the Tigers' talent pool not as deep. Baseball America on Tuesday released its midseason talent rankings for all 30 teams, dropping the Tigers to No. 22. That's an 18-spot drop from its preseason rankings.
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And, while McGonigle leads a crew of graduates that also includes former Tigers top-10 prospect Hao-Yu Lee, it's not the only reason for the Tigers' plummet, which is the largest dropoff in the updated rankings.
"Injuries have utterly ravaged the farm system," Baseball America writes. "Josue Briceño, Thayron Liranzo and Michael Oliveto have all spent significant time on the IL this year. Shortstop Franyerber Montilla has suffered two significant knee injuries in two years. Shortstop Jack Penney has a season-ending shoulder injury, much like (Bryce) Rainer suffered last year. The MiLB pitching staff has similarly been gutted by injuries."
Meanwhile, with McGonigle putting together a standout rookie season that includes a berth in the All-Star Game, the top-end talent at the top of the Tigers' system has thinned. The Tigers entered the season with four top-100 prospects in Baseball America's rankings, led by McGonigle and outfielder Max Clark in the the preseason top 10. They now can boast just two in Clark (14) and Rainer (79), a shortstop.
Similarly, Lee entered the season as one of MLB's top third-base prospects, but since has carved out a role with the Tigers.
"Even with Kevin McGonigle’s graduation," Baseball America writes, "the combination of center fielder Max Clark and shortstop Bryce Rainer give the Tigers an enviable pair of top prospects."
The Tigers' No. 22 ranking is the lowest at Baseball America since coming in at No. 26 entering the 2023 season. The Tigers enjoyed a meteoric rise after that, thanks to a 2023 draft haul that included Clark and McGonigle, checking in at No. 5 entering 2024, and No. 2 entering 2025. MLB Pipeline listed the Tigers at No. 1 in its rankings entering 2025.
The Milwaukee Brewers lead Baseball America's midseason farm rankings.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers see largest drop in Baseball America's midseason farm rankings