Minor League Baseball

Detroit Tigers Organization at Top of the Class, Los Angeles Angels at the Bottom

The Detroit Tigers' affiliates have the best combined record in baseball, mirroring the parent club. The Los Angeles Angels can't say the same thing. Baseball America took a deep look at the state of the minor leagues.
Jami Leabow|
West Michigan Whitecaps shortstop Kevin McGonigle looks to throw the ball to a teammate on Friday, April, 4, at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park, Mich.
West Michigan Whitecaps shortstop Kevin McGonigle looks to throw the ball to a teammate on Friday, April, 4, at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park, Mich. | Adam Vander Kooy/Holland Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Detroit TigersLos Angeles Angels

The Detroit Tigers are roaring on the MLB diamond, with the best record in baseball.

And they are poising themselves to stay in contention for years to come.

Baseball America released a look at the state of the future for all 30 teams, based on cumulative records of their minor league teams. The Tigers’ minor league teams have a combined 180-128 record (.584) with an astronomical plus-293 run differential, according to Baseball America’s math.

Three of their four full-season affiliates are in their first place in their respective league and divisions.

Double-A Erie is atop its Eastern League Division. Ditto for High-A Western Michigan in the Midwest League and Single-A Lakeland in the Florida State League.

Only Triple-A Toledo, which plays in the International League, isn’t in first place. The Mud Hens are over .500, however, at 35-34 entering play Tuesday.

Life on the farm is hellish, however, for the Los Angeles Angels.

The Angels’ four full-season teams – Triple-A Salt Lake, Double-A Rocket City, High-A Tri-City and Single-A Inland Empire -- all are in last place in their leagues. Only Tri-City has a winning percentage above .400 at .429. Their combined run differential? A whopping minus-369, according to Baseball America stats.

The Tigers have five prospects in the Baseball America Top 100, headlined by No. 9 Kevin McGonigle, a shortstop. The Angels have just one --No. 69 Christian Moore -- and they called the infielder up to the big leagues last week.

While the Tigers look like they could remain contenders in the future, the Angels look like they’ll be continuing down their non-postseason path.

Despite having had two of the greatest players of their generation on the roster simultaneously – Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani – the Angels have not made the playoffs since 2014.

What other MLB teams are thriving on the minor league side?

Rounding out the Top 10, in terms of organizational winning percentage, are the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants.

Nearing the bottom of the pile and just above the Angels are the Atlanta Braves, with a winning percentage of .430.

After the Angels and Braves, the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox in the Bottom 10.

While these records and figures are interesting, they don’t guarantee the Tigers are a dynasty in the making. But it’s an idea Detroit fans certainly don’t mind pondering.

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Jami Leabow
JAMI LEABOW

Jami Leabow is the managing editor of Minor League Baseball on SI. Her love for the game began when her parents bought season tickets to the then-California Angels.

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