Tigers Top Prospect Zyhir Hope Turning Heads With Strong Start in Fall League
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When the Detroit Tigers were shopping Tarik Skubal at the MLB Trade Deadline, many wanted to make sure the front office was getting the most they could in return. Eventually, the Tigers flipped the two-time AL Cy Young winner to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for three prospects.
Outfielder Zyhir Hope, right-hander River Ryan, and right-hander Brady Smith. Two pitchers and a left-handed slugger. On paper, Tigers fans knew they'd have to wait to properly grade this trade, but it's starting to look up with how the main piece in the package is playing.
Zyhir Hope immediately became Detroit's top prospect in the organization with the hopes that he could become a superstar in the Motor City. In 2026 as a whole, the 21-year-old hit 29 home runs, six with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves, and posted a .880 OPS.
To get some extra work to showcase what he's capable of to the front office, Hope is playing in the Arizona Fall League as a member of the Scottsdale Scorpions alongside Bryer Rainer (No. 2 organizational prospect) and John Peck (No. 19 organizational prospect).
Hope's Hot Start to the Fall
While the Fall League just got underway, Hope has made a fast impact on the roster. In six games, Hope is hitting .286 with a .873 OPS, with five walks, eight strikeouts and five runs batted in.
On Monday, Hope hit his first home run of the Fall, leading the Scorpions to a 6-2 victory over the Desert Dogs. Hope sent the ball 101 mph off the bat into the outfield seats, driving in two runs in the process.
Zyhir Hope (@Tigers) swats his first homer in Fall League action!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 12, 2026
MLB's No. 26 prospect is 6-for-12 over his past four AFL games: pic.twitter.com/FDYiUifn5M
If Hope continues to perform like this this Fall and if it carries over into spring training, assuming he gets an invite, the top prospect could begin his season at the Triple-A level with an MLB call-up sometime in the summer of 2027.
The last time the Tigers had a top prospect breakout in the Fall League was the likely American League Rookie of the Year, Kevin McGonigle. If McGonigle's performance in the Fall proved anything, it's that sometimes players are MLB-ready sooner than originally anticipated.
The Detroit outfield is quite crowded. With Riley Greene, Max Clark, Kerry Carpenter, Zach McKinstry, Ben Malgeri, and perhaps a returning Parker Meadows, Hope doesn't have a clear path to the majors right now. He could get the call-up to be the designated hitter, but even then, opportunities will likely go to Eduardo Valencia and Carpenter, respectively.
For Hope, focusing on the task in front of him right now will only help his journey to the show, and right now, he's impressing the organization and those who support it. Perhaps the 3-for-1 trade of Skubal will pan out in the Tigers' favor, so long as Hope pans out.
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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.