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MLB Pipeline ranks Detroit Tigers farm system No. 1 in baseball heading into 2025
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- MLB Pipeline ranks Detroit Tigers farm system No. 1 in baseball heading into 2025
The Detroit Tigers' farm system ranks the best across baseball heading into the 2025 season, according to an updated list released by MLB Pipeline .
The Tigers moved from No. 6 in the midseason update in 2024 to the top spot heading into 2025. They have six prospects in MLB Pipeline's updated top 100 :
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Jackson Jobe at No. 5.
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Max Clark at No. 6.
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Kevin McGonigle at No. 28.
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Bryce Rainer at No. 52.
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Thayron Liranzo at No. 81.
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Josue Briceño at No. 94.
The Tigers are one of six teams with six or more prospects listed, one of two teams with three top-30 prospects and the only team with two prospects in the top six. The Boston Red Sox , who rank third, are the only other team with two top-10 prospects and three top-30 prospects.
The Tigers have replaced the Orioles, who held the top spot in the preseason lists for the past three seasons but now rank 15th, after Baltimore graduated previous top prospects such as infielder Jackson Holliday .
Here's a quick look at each of the Tigers' top prospects:
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RHP Jackson Jobe, No. 5 MLB prospect
Detroit Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe (21) walks off the field after 2-1 win over Tampa Bay Raysat Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024.
Jobe, the Tigers' top prospect, is competing for a job on the Tigers' Opening Day roster as a starting pitcher. He has made two appearances this spring, throwing a total of five innings with three earned runs allowed, including two home runs, four strikeouts and one walk. In his last outing , Jobe allowed one run on two hits and zero walks with three strikeouts across three innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates , throwing 21 of 29 pitches for strikes.
OF Max Clark, No. 6 MLB prospect
The Tigers' next two top-ranked prospects, Clark and McGonigle, both drafted in 2023, spent the 2024 season in Low-A Lakeland before being promoted together to High-A West Michigan in July . On Friday, the Tigers called up Clark and McGonigle to make their MLB spring training debut against the Orioles. Clark was the Tigers' No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft .
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SS/2B Kevin McGonigle, No. 28 MLB prospect
McGonigle can hit, but the question during last season was whether he will stick at shortstop or move over to second base. He has elite contact rates, makes smart swing decisions and shows supreme patience at the plate.
SS Bryce Rainer, No. 52 MLB prospect
Rainer, the Tigers' first-round pick in 2024 at No. 11 overall, has yet to appear in a game in the Tigers' farm system. He signed for $5.8 million .
C/1B Thayron Liranzo, No. 81 MLB prospect
Liranzo, the top catching prospect in the organization, joined the Tigers at last year's trade deadline in the deal to move Jack Flaherty . In 26 games for High-A West Michigan after the trade , Liranzo hit .315 with five home runs and 20 RBIs in 89 at-bats. In 13 at-bats this spring training, Liranzo has two hits, a home run and triple, with four RBIs.
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1B/C Jose Briceño, No. 94 MLB prospect
Briceño, the third top-100 prospect called up for Friday's game, signed with the Tigers as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2022. Briceño, 20, has flashed plus hitting ability in his short time in the farm system. He became the first-ever Triple Crown winner in the Arizona Fall League after hitting .433 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in 25 games.
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press . Follow Jared on X or Bluesky , and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers farm system ranked No. 1 by MLB Pipeline
