Tigers First Round Selection Could Be Primed for Breakout Year Next Season

The Detroit Tigers have exceptional prospects on the cusp of making MLB debuts soon, but one name who has been held back by injury may also be one to watch.

Aug 25, 2020; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A wide view from behind home plate as Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull (56) pitches to Chicago Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward (22) during the fourth inning at Comerica Park. | Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers have a plethora of prospects who are either nearing their MLB debut or have showcased exceptional skill in the farm system. Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark, Josue Briceño and more have proven themselves in the minor leagues and are rapidly approaching their date with "The Show".

One name who has somewhat gone under the radar a bit since being selected back in the 2024 MLB Draft is Bryce Rainer. Despite remaining the No. 4 prospect in the Tigers system according to MLB Pipeline, Rainer has only really had a short amount of time to showcase his skillset as a player since joining the team.

A dislocated shoulder after only 35 games in 2025 held Rainer out for the majority of the year, despite his productive start.

Now, he has to work his way back from that, on top of building stock as a player and getting enough reps to move upwards from Single-A. 2026 could be his first big opportunity to do so, and with his pretty impressive numbers from a limited sample size last year, he could just be a year away from being in a similar position to McGonigle.

What Could 2026 Look Like for First Rounder Bryce Rainer?

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Projecting Rainer is a difficult task, as he no doubt has immense talent, but it has not been able to be displayed so far in the minor leagues. In his 35 appearances with Single-A Lakeland, he slashed .288/.383/.448 with 22 RBI, 19 runs, five home runs, five doubles, nine stolen bases, 33 strikeouts and 20 walks.

In the field, he struggled a bit, posting seven errors across 227 innings of work, good for a .937 fielding rate. However, this can be expected initially for a lot of prospects, especially those looking to handle the shortstop position and make the transition to pro baseball.

2026 should be more of the same, but it may not come initially, as shoulder injuries really take a lot of work to fully come back from. It will be interesting to see if they initially get him some reps at second base for the shorter throw, or if he will remain at shortstop to try and work through both the injury and initial struggles.

Bryce Rainer's 90th percentile exit velocity of 108 mph was the best among Tigers' minor leaguers 💪

See his full scouting report: https://t.co/D5sad9OFdT pic.twitter.com/T42yneqLVr

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) January 18, 2026

The bat has proven to be very strong for Rainer, and that will likely be his go-to in 2026 as he hopefully gets through a full season of work. When all is said and done, if the bat remains in a similar window and his defense steps up a bit, he may find himself in as high as Triple-A when September rolls around this year. It is all a matter of how he develops.