As spring training winds down, the farm system for the Detroit Tigers looks promising. I know that the farm teams don't win games and championships for the Tigers right now, but it is nice to know that the youth is there. The big name players for the Tigers aren't getting any younger, but none of us are.
There were the big name pitching prospects like Andy Oliver and Jacob Turner that showed improvement, but everyone knew that they would end up back at the farm. It'll give them time to develop into big leaguers. Which is good. Rushing them up to the big leagues can be bad news, especially if they are not mentally ready for the regression they will have as the professional hitters tear them apart. It will happen. It always does. When it does happen it can be either good or bad. If they have the thick skin and the brain to deal with it and evolve into a decent pitcher, they are a feel good story. If they can't deal with it, then they just burn out and become a wasted pick. Rick Porcello dealt with the regression last year and he is slowly developing with the Tigers. I think that part of it is that Jim Leyland and Dave Dombrowski don't want to admit they made a mistake rushing Porcello and they just let him set in the third spot in the rotation and watch Verlander and Scherzer throw. As long as he learns, that's all I care about.
On the field, there are some young hitters that are on the cusp. Scott Sizemore, the eventual owner of the middle infield, was sent down to the farm as spring training winds down. They tried him out last year in the big leagues and he struggled. I mean STRUGGLED. It didn't take long of Leyland to send him down, well aware he wasn't ready yet. He needs more plate discipline. There was the complete opposite situation with Brennan Boesch last year. He started on a tear. Then the pitchers figured him out and he faded away to nothing the second half of the year. The question remains 'why didn't he get sent down?'. I think it was another one of the situations where Leyland didn't want to admit he made a mistake. And it's fine. I love Jimmy Leyland. Mainly because he scares me. His stare can stop people in their tracks. He is so calm and collected and then the wrong question or statement is said to him and he will rip a head off.
There are plenty of young and hungry players in the Tigers' system. I cannot wait to see them start to make their way up to The Show. Some on the verge of breaking through are players like Andy Dirks. Slowly making his way through the system since being drafted in 2008, he has been turning heads this spring. I got to see him a little bit in college. He played at Wichita State, which has had a fairly decent program for several decades. A program that doesn't win college world series' but competes each and every year within their conference and make it to the post season. He is a player who is smart at the plate. He doesn't carry a big bat, but can go yard. He is more of a contact hitter, which is what I like to see. I would rather see someone that can move the base runners as opposed to try to hit it out of the park. Last year in the minors he hit just below .300. He may not be known right now, but book him for making it to the Show in the fall.
Then there are players like Will Rhymes, Casper Wells, and Scott Sizemore that have been traveling in between Toledo and Detroit for a couple of years that continue to tease. I don't know much about all the farm teams, but I have faith in the owners and the managers that they are making the right decisions for the club.
In Leyland I trust.
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