Latest Prospect Rankings Bring Hope for Tigers at Third Base
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Third base has been an area where the Detroit Tigers have needed improved depth for several seasons. Following Jeimer Candelario's departure after the 2022 season, Nick Maton, Gio Urshela, and Zach McKinstry have filled in as starters at the position since.
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McKinstry has been given the green light by manager AJ Hinch this offseason following his All-Star/Silver Slugger season with Detroit in 2025 as a primary third base option moving forward. But following MLB Pipeline's newest third base prospect rankings for 2026, improvements could be on the way.
Hao-Yu Lee Ranked 3rd-Best 3B Prospect in Baseball
Back in 2023, the Tigers traded starting pitcher Michael Lorenezen to the Philadelphia Phillies for infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee. Flash forward a few years, on the cusp of making his MLB debut, projected sometime this season, Lee ranks as the third-best third base prospect in all of MLB.
Lee is versatile in the infield, able to play second base as well, which he ranked as the 10th-best second base prospect in 2025. But with Gleyber Torres returning to Detroit, and Max Anderson now ranking as the fifth-best second base prospect in the MLB, Lee can now focus on being a third baseman.
Through two seasons in the Tigers' farm system, Lee has collected a .270 AVG, .352 OBS, .447 SLG, .799 OPS slash line across Double and Triple-A with 26 home runs (averaging 13 per season), 117 RBIs, and 38 stolen bases.
From the fielding side of things, Lee made nine errors at the Triple-A level last season when playing third base. However, defensively, he still has the upside. Just 22, Lee will need to get better in his range and ball handling at the hot corner, but doing so at the MLB level might be the course of action.
"His athleticism and average arm strength make him a better fit up the middle, but the Tigers need to make their options open at the hot corner. Lee and Max Anderson will continue to flip between both places with hopes one can break through as a starter," MLB.com shared via video.
While Lee isn't a player like Alex Bregman, who almost signed with Detroit last season before ultimately heading to the Boston Red Sox, his youth stands out. Needing to carry his success into the big leagues is a must, or the Tigers could have another Jace Jung situation on their hands.
Ultimately, Lee can swing the bat, as he had a 105.4 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and 112.2 mph max exit velocity, which is equivalent to New York Yankees Jazz Chisholm's max in the MLB, according to MLB.com.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.