Tigers Baseball Report

Tigers Future Remains Bright with Five Prospects in Latest MLB Top 100

The farm system for the Detroit Tigers has a few players who could be on the roster rather quickly in 2026.
Maddy Dickens|
Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park
Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Detroit Tigers

One crucial part for the success of any MLB team is how talent develops in the farm system. This is where their top prospects are able to compete against top talent before taking on the Majors.

Bleacher Report just released its Top 100 prospects and the Detroit Tigers not only have five players on it, but four of those sit inside the Top 40, including the No. 1 prospect, shortstop Kevin McGonigle.

Joining McGonigle on the list was outfielder Max Clark (No. 17), shortstop Bryce Rainer (No. 26), catcher/first baseman Josue Briceño (No. 38) and catcher Thayron Liranzo at No. 100.

Minor League Standouts for Detroit

McGonigle hitting a ball in a white uniform during the AF
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

McGonigle might only be 21 years old, but he appears ready to make his debut into the Majors. With the Tigers yearning for another bat in the lineup, that time might be rapidly approaching. This year he worked his way from Single-A to Double-A and finished with an impressive stat line in just 88 games, as he missed part of the season due to injury.

  • .305 Batting Average
  • .408 On-Base Percentage
  • .583 Slugging Percentage
  • .991 OPS
  • 101 Hits
  • 193 Total Bases
  • 31 Doubles
  • 2 Triples
  • 19 Home Runs
  • 80 RBI
  • 59 Drawn Walks
  • 10 Stolen Bases

Clark is younger than McGonigle (20), but still finds himself inside the Top 20 as he finished the year in Double-A. He primarily suited up in center field, but also spent nearly 20% of his games as a designated hitter. Clark was a nightmare for pitchers as he drew 94 walks and finished with an on-base percentage of over .400.

The other Tigers shortstop on the list just finished his first year in the minors. Rainer's season ended quickly as he missed the second half of the season with a dislocated shoulder, but he clearly made a lasting impression. Rainer was batting .288 to complement an OPS of .831.

A pair of catching prospects drew enough attention to both land inside the Top100. Between either Briceño and Liranzo it seems unlikely that they could make a debut next season with Gold Glover Dillon Dingler behind the plate.

Detroit needs more offense. Even with Riley Greene and Zach McKinstry both winning Silver Slugger Awards it feels like the Tigers' bats were arguably their biggest weakness this season. That makes it reasonable that McGonigle could make the roster in 2026. He was recently named the Arizona Fall League MVP.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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