BA Detroit Tigers Top 10

by demondeaconsbaseball on Jan 8, 2026 1:25 PM EST Comment 38 comments

Link here.

Couple of suprises... Jackson is high, but right where Sickles had him, but the shockers are Gustavo Nunez at 7, Scott Sizemore all the way down at 10 and Ryan Streiby not on the list at all. I'd also strongly disagree with Andy Oliver getting put at #4... and Casey Crosby getting put second... and Wilkin Ramirez on the list. I get that BA favors upside, but does this list look odd to anyone else?

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Read More: Scott Sizemore (2B - DET), Wilkin Ramirez (LF - DET), Detroit Tigers

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i was also surprised Strieby didn't make the end of the list

baseball rules.

by doublestix on Jan 8, 2026 1:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Oliver

I’m an Oliver fan, so I don’t have much of a problem with the ranking.

I prefer Crosby, but he and Turner are basically toss ups for me.

by jar75 on Jan 8, 2026 2:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

If Oliver can stick as a starter,

then I’m OK with him being ranked high. But even then, #4 seems a little too high for me.

I agree with ddb that having Nunez at 7 is surprising.

by Dberg on Jan 8, 2026 2:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think that's mainly because of the system

In a system with better depth, Oliver would be significantly lower. BA values upside and there’s a scenario where Oliver can be a very good starting pitcher. He really needs to re-find his curve ball.

by jar75 on Jan 8, 2026 2:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow

This list doesnt look bad to me, and I typically dislike BA. Id also take Turner over Crosby. I think Sizemore is getting overrated and isnt an impact guy at all. I dont like Strieby and I would definitely keep Wilkin Ramirez and his tools on my top 10. Im glad see Avila isnt too high, too.

I would move Sizemore up some and Fields up some probably.

by alskor on Jan 8, 2026 2:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I would definitely keep Wilkin Ramirez and his tools on my top 10.

The Tigers seem to like Casper Wells better right now.

by rea on Jan 8, 2026 6:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, they also decided to let Magglio's option vest, which forced them to trade Granderson and EJax for a mediocre return

by alskor on Jan 8, 2026 11:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If they had sat Magglio down . . .

. . . to prevent his option from vesting, they would have lost the resulting arbitration. Ordonez had a peformance incentive, not a club option; sitting him down just to prevent him from getting enough at bats for his option to vest isn’t allowed. You could sit him down for baseball reasons, if he wasn’t playing well—but he was red-hot in August and September, so sitting him down then wasn’t very plausible, particularly in a close division race.

by rea on Jan 9, 2026 7:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No they wouldn't

No way in hell. The guy’s line this year was terrible. They easily could have sat or released him for performance issues before then, or even then.

I know the theory you’re expousing has been thrown out there a lot. Its simply not true. The Tigers almost certainly would have prevailed in any sort of adjudication.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-problem-with-magglio

Even if you disagree with that, their handling of Magglio earlier the season still opens them the same criticism.

by alskor on Jan 9, 2026 1:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not also

his platoon split.

They could have very easily justified only playing him against LHPs.

Its very hard for a player and agent to prove that the Tigers would be doing that to stop an option vesting, and not for baseball reasons. Arbiters and Courts would be extremely reluctant to dictate baseball in game strategy to a team. There are a number of cases on this. Burden of proof rested with the player, and I really cant imagine he could have overcome it w/out say… a signed letter from Dave Dombrowski to Jim Leyland stating that they should sit Magglio to avoid the option vesting.

by alskor on Jan 9, 2026 1:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, but . . .

. . . what you’re arguing is that they should have sat Magglio in order to avoid the option vesting, isn’t it? The point being, you’re not saying they were entitled to do that legally, you’re saying they could have broken their contract and gotten away with it.

by rea on Jan 9, 2026 2:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Im saying the best thing for the team would have been to

a) Not play him because he sucks
and
b) Not play a sucky player if his option is going to vest, since there’s no compelling baseball reason for it.

They dont have to elucidate their motivations. Its their call to make. That’s not breaking their contract. Unless Boras can prove the Tigers were acting in bad faith here deliberately to stop the option from vesting. Im saying that given Magglio’s suckiness that would have been 99.9% impossible for Boras to prove to an arbiter, mediator or judge.

by alskor on Jan 9, 2026 3:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That is not the main reason why they traded Grandy and Jackson

by Scottwood on Jan 9, 2026 10:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I really believe finances played a large role init.

Detroit looks like a third world country these days. The city morgues are literally overflowing with bodies that there’s no money to bury. The unemployment rate is over 15%.

Im not saying there were no baseball reasons for the trade, or that it didnt make some baseball sense. I do think finances played a major role.

by alskor on Jan 9, 2026 1:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

They never would have let Magglio hit his incentives if their financial situation was so dire

Mike Illitch is a smart businessman. You don’t get where he got in life without the ability to foresee potential problems. They easily could have cut Maggs or platooned him to ensure that he would not reach the incentives. But, they didn’t.

I’m sure finances played some role. They play a role in every trade or FA signing. But, the Tigers front office is not so dumb that they would let a 36 OF hit those incentives knowing that they would then need to clear salary. They were going to trade Granderson and Jackson anyway. Whether that was a good baseball decision is debatable, but letting Maggs hit those incentives did not impact their decision, imo.

by Scottwood on Jan 9, 2026 1:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

that should say 36 year old OF

by Scottwood on Jan 9, 2026 2:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sizemore

Way too low. He should be in the top 6 for sure, as BP and Sickels had him.

by rdf8585 on Jan 8, 2026 2:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Normally I don't care too much about specific rankings

However, I find that ranking of Sizemore puzzlingly low. Specifically, I am trying to understand what would possess someone to prefer Gustavo Nunez over him.

by aCone419 on Jan 8, 2026 2:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I love the look of that projected rotation.

If all goes well, and it looks like that in 2013, I will be a VERY happy person.

by Dberg on Jan 8, 2026 2:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

wow

by matthewmafa on Jan 8, 2026 2:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It never, ever all goes well though :(

by Kaorikaze on Jan 8, 2026 3:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

never

say never

by Pelferized on Jan 9, 2026 9:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Interesting list

Most overrated prospect in baseball: Austin Jackson

Most underrated prospect in baseball: Alex Avila

I like Oliver at #4. His fastball/changeup combo is devastating.

Brett Anderson is the Truth. Brett Anderson is divine presence. Brett Anderson is eternal life. Brett Anderson is within you. Brett Anderson is here. Brett Anderson is Now.

by Frederick0220 on Jan 8, 2026 3:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

-1 on Avila

Vin Mazzaro needs some lovin.

Adoptive parent of Kyle Nicholson

by gore51 on Jan 8, 2026 4:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Everyone . . .

. . . says Austin Jackson is overrated, which is actually a bit odd, if you think about it.

by rea on Jan 8, 2026 6:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

From Goldstein

Kevin (MI): Would the Tigers be crazy to start the season with Austin Jackson in CF, or can they get better production right now from an in house option?

Kevin Goldstein: Am I the only guy left who kinda likes Austin Jackson? Not in some impact way, but definitely in a solid every day guy kind of way. He should start opening day.

by drwmsu1 on Jan 8, 2026 8:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Indeed

I realize it’s fun to call him overrated and bash his AAA season (and it was terrible), but there has to be a reason KG, John and BA still think he’s an everyday starting CFer. I don’t think he’s overrated here at all. He’s clearly behind Turner and Crosby, but there isn’t anyone else in the Tigers’ system that I’d rather have. He is in the back half of the top 100.

by jar75 on Jan 8, 2026 9:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

jackson

I like Austin Jackson.

by John Sickels on Jan 9, 2026 2:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

lamp

I like lamp.

by gogotabata on Jan 9, 2026 6:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Small group

Consists of you, KG and the Baseball America people… so good company at least.

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Jan 9, 2026 8:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hey I like him

and I was knocking him for his bat and his swing last year.

He’s a major leaguer. Im pretty certain of that. He’s a very good defender in CF. Does his bat have room for improvement? Sure. I just dont buy it. But he’s a below average bat who plays good defense at an important position. That’s pretty valuable. I dont love the upside here, but there’s certainly plenty of value to be had with Jackson.

I dont mean to harp on this over and over, but is he really that different from Alcides Escobar? Jackson also projects as one of the elite defenders at his position. Both bat are pretty questionable.

by alskor on Jan 10, 2026 2:15 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

some differences between Escobar and Jackson

Personally I’ve never seen Jackson projected as an elite defender in CF, comments usually are more along the lines that his athleticism will allow him to be an average to above average CF defender. Escobar is however widely seen as a plus-to-elite defender. Also while CF is considered a “premium position”, there is still a 5 run gap of positional adjustment between CF and SS.

And regarding their relative offensive skills, Escobar just posted a 15.1 K% in AAA while Jackson’s AAA K% was 24.4. Jackson’s K and BB rates were nearly identical to Chris Davis’ AA/AAA numbers in 2008. I expect Jackson to have a much more difficult transition to facing major league pitching than Escobar.

by jibs on Jan 10, 2026 12:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Good post.

Brett Anderson is the Truth. Brett Anderson is divine presence. Brett Anderson is eternal life. Brett Anderson is within you. Brett Anderson is here. Brett Anderson is Now.

by Frederick0220 on Jan 10, 2026 2:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

by gogotabata on Jan 10, 2026 2:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Those are all good points

Im not saying theyre exactly alike, and theyre clearly more different than they are similar.

People are pushing Escobar as a top 10 prospect. Jackson has, to varying degrees, sort of the same strengths and weaknesses. Yet, some have completely written him off. That’s all Im saying. Im not a Jackson fan at all. I just dont believe in his bat.

by alskor on Jan 10, 2026 7:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Turner/Crosby

Seems that the major publications prefer Turner to Crosby while the more sabermetrically oriented fanbase would take Crosby after his good showing in the Midwest League.

I think a lot of people are underestimating just how good scouts seem to think Turner’s arm is. There’s a pretty decent chance that he ends up throwing harder than Crosby with a better breaking ball and a clean injury history. The big question I have with Turner is how his command will play, but that’s something that I worry about with the vast majority of prep pitchers.

by mrkupe on Jan 9, 2026 10:06 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Now I could be wrong

But I don’t think there will be a lot separating the two on Top 100 lists. Turner may have the slight edge, but I don’t think it’s significant at this point.

by jar75 on Jan 9, 2026 12:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Crosby/Turner = Anderson/Cahill

In hindsight, Anderson looks like the better bet going forward, but at this time last year, they were 1 and 1a. That looks to be the case with Crosby and Turner. I don’t think anyone’s wrong in listing them Turner-Crosby or Crosby-Turner. As for velo, it wouldn’t surprise me if Turner threw harder, but that doesn’t change the fact that you can count on one hand the number of left handed starting pitching prospects that have the velo of Crosby. So it’s not really a knock on Crosby to say Turner will through harder.

ProspectTube.com

You Video. You Scout.

by ProspectTube.com on Jan 9, 2026 2:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs