Five Tigers make MLB Pipeline’s updated list of top 100 prospects

The Detroit Tigers’ rebuild trudges on, but their farm system appears to be accumulating a talented group of prospects.

MLB Pipeline on Tuesday night unveiled its reranking of the top 100 prospects, with the Tigers boasting five players on the list, led by outfielder Max Clark at No. 7 and righthanded pitcher Jackson Jobe at No. 8.

The Tigers are one of three teams with two prospects in the top 10, joining the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays, and are one short of the sharing the top spot for most prospects in the top 100, trailing the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies and Minnesota Twins, who have six apiece.

Other Tigers in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 are infielder Kevin McGonigle (No. 33), shortstop Bryce Rainer (No. 61) and third baseman Jace Jung (No. 64).

MLB Pipeline’s reranking follows a similar update in late July from Baseball America, which placed six Tigers among its updated top 100. Single-A West Michigan starting pitcher Jaden Hamm also made Baseball America’s list, at No. 100.

Just like he was on Baseball America’s list, Jobe is the top-ranked pitcher, according to MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old is at Double-A Erie. In 12 starts at 53.2 innings pitched there, he owns a 2.01 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 58 strikeouts. Erie opponents are hitting .167 off of him.

McGonigle was MLB Pipeline’s biggest debut for prospects not from July’s MLB Draft, after he was unranked in the preseason list. A second-round pick from 2023, McGonigle recently was promoted to West Michigan from low Single-A Lakeland with Clark, but hit the injured list this week with a right hamate fracture.

McGonigle is hitting a combined .309 in 272 at-bats between Lakeland and West Michigan, with a .401 on-base percentage and .853 OPS, and was considered a “significant” riser in Baseball America’s updated rankings. He was off to a slow start at West Michigan, hitting .214 in his first 14 games there.

Clark, the No. 3 overall pick from 2023, is hitting .295 since his promotion, after slashing .286/.386/.807 at Lakeland, with 26 stolen bases.

Rainer was the Tigers’ top pick in July, at No. 11 overall, while Jung has transitioned to third base at Triple-A Toledo, with 15 home runs and an .858 OPS.

MLB Pipeline also updated its top 30 lists for each team. Switch-hitting catcher Thayron Liranzo, acquired at the trade deadline in the package the Tigers received from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jack Flaherty, is No. 6 among Tigers prospects, one of four prospects in the top 30 acquired at the deadline, joining righthander Joseph Montalvo (No. 18), shortstop Trey Sweeney (No. 20), and righthander Eric Silva (No. 29).

Liranzo and Montalvo are at West Michigan, Silva is at Erie and Sweeney at Toledo.