Several Tigers Prospects Looking for Bounce-Back Seasons

Detroit Tigers fans are likely familiar with the top positional player prospects. If not, we’ll see more of guys like Zyhir Hope and Bryce Rainer play in the Arizona Fall League. We’ll analyze these two top prospects and their performances after the league ends. The prospects highlighted include a few former top 100 prospects and top draft picks who may have had their stars dim a bit. Which Tigers prospects need a good bounce-back season?

Jace Jung has had 160 MLB plate appearances, therefore exhausting his prospect status. The 26-year-old infielder hasn’t been able to find his footing in the majors yet. To date, he’s produced a .193/.319/.230 slash line, which equates to a 59 OPS+ (100 is league average). Defensively, he’s produced -1 DRS while playing mostly third base.

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Detroit Tigers infielder Jace Jung in the dugout during the second inning against New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jung has not been able to carve out consistent playing time in Detroit, partly due to a crowded infield. He finds his path to playing time even more challenging with the ascent of Hao-Yu Lee and Max Anderson on the doorstep of the majors. Incumbent Colt Keith is likely to split his time between several infield spots.

Jung was the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Texas Tech. He was scouted as a bat-over-glove prospect. While at Texas Tech, Jung mashed college pitching, with a career slash line of .328/.468/.647, which adds up to a 1.116 OPS. He hit 39 home runs with 32 doubles in 136 games. He blitzed through the lower minors and has hit well in 334 Triple-A games, with a .801 OPS. Buried in the infield depth chart, Jung will be hard-pressed to find consistent major league at-bats, which are necessary to help him acclimate to the league.

Catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo was a back-end top 100 prospect who arrived from the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 in a midseason trade. He’s spent the previous two seasons playing at Double-A and has spent most of his time working defensively at catcher. In 79 Double-A games, he produced a .199/.314/.447 slash line. His .761 OPS is buoyed by 19 home runs and 13 doubles. He walked in 14.4% of plate appearances (83rd percentile) but struck out 28.2% of his plate appearances and still exhibited contact issues (40-grade hit tool).

The Dominican backstop will turn 24 years old midway through next season and is expected to start the year in Double-A and share catching duties with top catching prospect Josue Briceño. His long-term position may end up being first base, but he’ll need to work on hitting to help augment his 55-60 grade power.

Michael Oliveto was the 34th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of a New York area high school. He split his debut season between Rookie and A-ball and produced a .285/.394/.410 slash line. His .804 OPS was supplemented with two home runs and ten doubles in 44 games. Oliveto will spend 2027 in his age-20 season and is likely to begin the season in A-ball. Historically, catchers take a longer time to develop due to the defensive responsibilities that the position demands. He’s behind top 50 prospect Briceño and Liranzo on the organizational depth chart.

The 2025 first-round selection Jordan Yost debuted in 2026 in Single-A with four home runs and 18-for-19 in stolen bases. He produced a .252/.369/.354 slash line, equating to a .723 OPS in 83 games. While his K-rate (14%) and BB-rate (13.5%) were well above average, his hard-hit rate (16.9%, 1st percentile) and barrel rate (0.4%, 1st percentile) were very poor. Thus far, his draft scouting report has been accurate. He was scouted with a 55-grade hit tool, 40-grade power, 60-grade run, 55-grade fielding, and 55-grade arm. He’ll spend 2027 in his age-20 season, presumably repeating A ball to begin the year.

Despite two highly rated prospect graduations, including one who may win the AL Rookie of the Year, the Tigers still feature strong depth with positional players. Jung could see himself as a trade candidate while Oliveto and Yost are, optimistically, a few years away from contributing to the MLB roster. Prospect progression is not linear, but these Tigers prospects are worth following.

Main Photo Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports