This off-season we set off to write our first book. Changes and challenges arose, so we've pivoted to releasing our top prospect lists & reports through the site and our Patreon. We're excited to finally show you the hard work of our evaluating team the last few months.
Below you'll find the top 10 players in the system with full reports of the top 5. The full rankings and reports on all top 30 prospects per team will be available on our Patreon at the 55-tier ($5 level) as we publish them. If you're into fantasy baseball, this tier also gets you the dynasty show, the FYPD list and the MiLB Daily Sheet in season. We plan to add all the reports to player pages on the site shortly after the season begins.
Top 10 Team Rank at First 5 Reports for Free Below
1. Spencer Torkelson, 1B - 60 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AAA
Pre-Season Rank: 1 Pre-Season OFP: 60
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 60 | 50 | 50 | 40 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Solidly built throughout but has average height for the position. Muscular quads and forearms and above-average athleticism. Close to physically maxed.
STRENGTHS An easy and evenly distributed swing that delivers loud, line-drive contact upon impact. Swing is short and operates on a level plane, and he shows an ability to drive the ball to all parts of the field with ease. Outstanding exit velocities and the ball truly jumps off the bat. Ability to elevate the ball and has plus-plus raw power due to natural strength and plus bat speed. Plus eye and patience at the plate, works the count and waits for a pitch to drive. Yet to show concern with strikeouts, just needs to consistently make better contact to unleash his plus hit tool. Athletic and instinctual in the field, projects as an average defender at first once he settles into the position.
WEAKNESSES Production dropped off a touch against better pitching in Triple-A, but it was just his first full season in professional baseball. Bat is ahead of his defense, but flashed an ability to play both first and third. Exclusively played first base after reaching Triple-A, and remains rough around the edges. Moves well enough, but his range is average and glovework is a work-in-progress. Average arm and fringe-average range limit his ability at third base, and it seems likely that he sticks at first base. Just needs additional reps at the position.
SUMMARY Torkelson’s offensive prowess makes him one of the very best prospects in baseball. He blew through the minor leagues in 2021, and is knocking on the door to the majors. His defense remains behind his bat, but he projects as an All-Star player at full maturity. He has the look of a high on-base, extra-base machine at the next level. Should get the call from the Tigers early in the 2022 season.
EVALUATOR Jake Kerns
2. Riley Greene, OF - 60 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: AAA
Pre-Season Rank: 3 Pre-Season OFP: 55
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Tall and well-built with some room to fill out in his core and lower half. Strong upper body. Ideal baseball body. Plus athleticism that translates well across the outfield.
STRENGTHS Shows feel for the strike zone and is capable of working the count. Plus bat speed and uses a mostly level swing that generates linedrive contact to the grass. Shows an advanced ability to put the bat on the ball, but would be better served to make a concerted effort to get the ball in the air. Ball jumps off the bat when he barrels the ball, and there is some natural loft off the bat. Plus raw power and is capable of getting to most of it. Selective at the plate, but can become too passive at times. The power should play at above-average once he reaches Detroit. Above-average footspeed and is instinctual in the field. Has taken reps in all three outfield positions, and his above-average range and above-average arm fit best in right field.
WEAKNESSES Greene has a good feel for the bat, but he is notably susceptible to offspeed pitches and his own passiveness. Continued work on his pitch recognition will vastly help the performance of his hit tool against higher level pitching. Despite being drafted as a center fielder and playing the majority of his minor league career there, it seems likely that he eventually finds a home in right field.
SUMMARY Greene perhaps lacks the pure hitting ability that his teammate, Spencer Torkelson, offers, but the rest of the package is more complete. Above-average or better across the board, and the only thing holding him back from the big leagues is his relative lack of at-bats and his higher-than-desired strikeout rate. Can approach his All-Star ceiling with a bit more seasoning. Likely to debut this summer. Did suffer a late-season concussion that pulled him from the AFL and is worth monitoring.
EVALUATOR Jake Kerns
3. Jackson Jobe, RHP - 55 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: HS
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 5
| Fastball | Slider | Changeup | Command | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 70 | 55 | 55 | High |
| 94-96 mph | 83-85 mph | 83-85 mph |
PHYSICAL Large athletic frame, wide shoulders, strength through trunk up to chest, thick lower half with strength. Room for physical projection. Starts middle of rubber, little rocker step, high front leg kick, medium hip hing on backside, short quick arm circle with 3/4 arm slot. Athletic delivery, repeatable.
STRENGTHS Plus fastball and slider combo. Fastball has late life and carries through the zone. Room for velocity gains as strength is added. High spin slider (3300 RPM) with a sharp two-plane break with lots of sweep. Good execution with slider, throws for strike early in counts and uses as put away swing and miss pitch, devilish offering to right handed hitters. Changeup has potential to develop into an above average offering, with arm side run and plus depth. Commands and executes his three pitch mix, throws strikes.
WEAKNESSES Maturity both mentally and physically. High risk prep prospect, has not experienced heavy workload. Improvement upon sequencing of pitches, look to mix for changeups to left handed hitters.
SUMMARY The first prep arm selected in the 2021 MLB draft, Jobe possesses an above-average to plus three pitch mix with advanced feel. While there is risk associated with the profile as he has yet to pitch in a professional game, he projects as a futute front line starter in the majors.
EVALUATOR Brandon Smith
4. Dillon Dingler, C - 50 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: 7 Pre-Season OFP: 45
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 50 | High |
PHYSICAL Stout, physical presence. Bigger build for a catcher with broad shoulders and big thighs. Athletic body type that was capable of handling other positions in college previously.
STRENGTHS Good bat speed for his size, strengths and rotation. Doesn’t have a big leg kick and still generates good raw power for the position. Swing creates natural loft and ability to drive the ball to his pull side. Also has power to opposite field. Uses a moderate toe tap after his front leg down to adjust. Excels against pitches lower in the zone. Despite still learning the position, he’s capable of a sub-2.00 pop time and his carrying tool is his strong arm. Adept blocker and has a still glove as a receiver. Projects to stick behind the plate long term.
WEAKNESSES There’s some natural swing and miss in Dingler’s game and it’s more pronounced due to his aggressive approach. A good portion of his swing and miss comes from up in the zone. The toe tap that keeps him back can help, but there are questions about his ability to pick up spin. Has a tendency to throw off his back foot at times, but his arm is strong enough to overcome that, only affecting accuracy at times. Occasionally reaches to catch pitches instead of going for the block.
SUMMARY Dingler stands out for his athleticism and size, especially behind the plate. Normally there’s some health concern for catchers with larger frames like Dingler, but his athleticism reduces some of those concerns. Has the arm and natural ability to stay behind the plate long term as an average defender with a plus arm. His pop and big arm as a catcher display two classic tools that tend to serve backstops well for their big league future. A lot of Dingler’s future depends on his contact issues. The bat could end up taking him to another position in order to lessen his defensive burden to get him to the majors faster. Profiles as an average regular, but there is a chance the contact issues hold him back to being a home run hitting, plus arm backup catcher.
EVALUATOR Justin Lada
5. Cristian Santana, SS - 50 OFP
Age: 18 Highest Level: DSL
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 55 | 50 | 55 | 45 | Exteme |
PHYSICAL Wiry, athletic frame that will provide a good base to grow. There’s plenty of room left on the frame. As he fills out he could add more power and it’ll help add to a strong arm.
STRENGTHS Compact swing and feel for the zone helps him draw walks and get in good hitters counts. He projects to add power as his frame fills out. Smooth actions defensively that give him a legitimate chance to stick at shortstop if he doesn’t grow out of the position as the frame fills out. Even if he does, his strong arm will allow him to stick on the left side of the infield.
WEAKNESSES There is swing and miss in his game on the offensive side. His overall profile is risky. There’s a lofty ceiling, but also a clear gap between present and projected tools. His strong performance in the DSL is encouraging, but with his load he may run into timing issues against higher level pitching.
SUMMARY One of the highest profile international free agents the Tigers have snagged recently. He has a huge ceiling at the plate that could be a good combination of hit and power. Defensively his actions should allow him to stay at shortstop, but his arm will allow him to move off the position if needed. His cousin, Wenceel Perez, is also in the Detroit system. There’s a long way to go to get to the lofty ceiling and his skills are very raw. He’s due to come stateside this year and continue to show what made him successful in the DSL.
EVALUATOR Trevor Hooth
6. Gage Workman, 3B - 50 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: A+
Pre-Season Rank: 20 Pre-Season OFP: 45
7. Ty Madden, RHP - 50 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: NCAA
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 13
8. Reese Olson, RHP - 50 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked
9. Izaac Pacheco, SS - 45 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: CPX
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 45
10. Roberto Campos, OF - 45 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: CPX
Pre-Season Rank: 17 Pre-Season OFP: 45