Bryce Rainer Fastest-Rising Tigers Prospect Among MLB Industry Experts

The Detroit Tigers have a significant group of high-level prospects, but one is rising above the rest a month into the season.

Mar 30, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of a Detroit Tigers player before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers have invested heavily in the development of high school infielders with high draft picks. Bryce Rainer is making them look smart.

Baseball America re-ranked its Top 100 prospects for the first time this season and five Tigers made the list, including Rainer, who was the Tigers’ first-round pick last July. He’s already making waves in the system and in the Top 100.

While the other four Top 100 prospects only experienced slight changes in their ranking, Rainer was the one that truly moved from his preseason rankings. Before the season started, he was ranked No. 55. In this first adjustment, he moved 12 spots to No. 43, making him one of the biggest risers among players that were already in the Top 100 in the preseason.

Why is Bryce Rainer Moving Up Prospect Rankings?

What explains this? It’s mostly centered on his play. Just five prospects graduated from the rankings in May, which means they no longer qualify as prospects. So, there wasn’t much room for new prospects and all five of the Tigers’ top 100 prospects were in the preseason rankings.

But there are other factors. Baseball America’s experts noted that “Rainer’s tools are as advertised, or maybe a bit better than advertised.”

Tools are one thing. Production is another. In his first pro season at Class-A Lakeland, he’s smashing the baseball.

Through his first 18 pro games he slashed .302/.397/.508 with three home runs and 14 RBI. He has struck out 16 times, but he’s also drawn 11 walks, showing that he’s choosier at the plate than most 18-year-old.

Yes, he’s still just 18 years old. Selected No. 11 overall last year out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, Calif., he hails from the same high school that produced current Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.

The Tigers paid him a $5.8 million bonus to get him to skip college, but they didn’t start the youngster in their system right away.

The Tigers’ other four Top 100 prospects were pitcher Jackson Jobe at No. 5, shortstop Kevin McGonigle at No. 16, outfielder Max Clark at No. 20 and catcher Thayron Liranzo at No. 73. Jobe, who is already in the Majors, will likely graduate from prospect rankings later this year.

It will probably be a little while for Rainer. But he’s already looking like he’ll be worth the wait.

Baseball America will update its Top 100 every month during the season. Those ranks rely on in-person scouting by the publication’s staff, future projections and conversations with MLB scouts, coaches, analysts and front office officials.