Baseball America Ranks Tigers Top 10 Prospects - With One Shocking Omission
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
Throughout last season, there was one Tigers' prospect who generated more excitement than any other.
He scaled the minor-league ladder in four months, climbing from Single-A Lakeland in April to Triple-A Toledo in July. He played in the All-Star Futures game in July. He was selected to Baseball America's 2016 Minor League All-Star Team in September. His numbers were sparkling across the board.
By any measure, Joe Jimenez had a fantastic 2016 season.
So it's puzzling that the flame-throwing reliever was left off Baseball America's latest ranking of the Tigers' top 10 prospects.
Even more confounding is that Jimenez was ranked No. 7 on the same list in January. That he was excluded this time around suggests he took a step backward in the interim.
Which is unthinkable, of course.
Between Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2016, Jimenez went 3-3 with a 1.51 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and .144 batting average against. He struck out 78 batters in 53.2 innings.
And his numbers held up in Triple-A Toledo. Jimenez was 0-1 with the Mud Hens with a 2.30 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and .164 batting average against. He recorded 16 strikeouts in 15.2 innings.
But Baseball America's Josh Norris decided Jimenez isn't one of the Tigers' top 10 prospects. For what it's worth, MLB.com lists Jimenez as the team's fifth best prospect.
Aside from the omission of Jimenez, Norris' rankings weren't all that surprising.
He listed the Tigers' three most recent first-round draft picks in the top three spots.
Right-handed pitcher Matt Manning (2016, 9th overall) was first, outfielder Christin Stewart (2015, 34th overall) was second and right-handed pitcher Beau Burrows (2015, 22nd overall) was third.
Outfielder Derek Hill, the team's first-round pick (23rd overall) in 2014 was ranked tenth. Hill tore his UCL last season and will be out until at least midseason of next year.
Other notable names include third baseman/outfielder JaCoby Jones, who was ranked sixth, and outfielder Steven Moya, who was ranked ninth.
The full list is as follows.
- Matt Manning, RHP
- Christin Stewart, OF
- Beau Burrows, RHP
- Tyler Alexander, LHP
- Kyle Funkhouser, RHP
- JaCoby Jones, OF/3B
- Mike Gerber, OF
- Adam Ravenelle, RHP
- Steven Moya, OF
- Derek Hill, OF
