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Detroit Tigers prospect Thayron Liranzo blasts game-winning home run in Fall Stars Game
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- Detroit Tigers prospect Thayron Liranzo blasts game-winning home run in Fall Stars Game
Detroit Tigers prospect Thayron Liranzo watched the ball fly to right field and flipped his bat in celebration. He pointed to his dugout as he began jogging around the bases.
Liranzo, whom the Tigers acquired less than four months ago from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty trade , hit a game-winning solo home run for the American League in the top of the ninth inning Saturday in the 2024 Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game.
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The AL won, 6-5.
THAYRON LIRANZO: Tigers prospect acquired in Jack Flaherty trade already showing how he 'nukes balls'
Thayron Liranzo #14 of the Scottsdale Scorpions bats during the game between the Surprise Saguaros and the Scottsdale Scorpions at Scottsdale Stadium on Friday, October 18, 2024 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Liranzo, a 21-year-old switch-hitting catcher, demolished the ball from the left side of the plate, facing right-handed reliever Griff McGarry , a 25-year-old from the Philadelphia Phillies . He turned on an up-and-in pitch in a full count for a pull-side homer.
The ball traveled 437 feet with a 112 mph exit velocity.
After the homer, Liranzo was named MVP of the Fall Stars Game.
Liranzo entered the Fall Stars Game in the sixth inning as a defensive replacement, but he didn't step to the plate until the top of the ninth inning.
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He made his only opportunity count.
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Fellow Tigers prospect Josue Briceño , a 20-year-old left-handed hitting first baseman, started for the AL as the designated hitter, but he finished 0-for-3 with one strikeout.
Briceño also participated Friday in the AFL Home Run Derby, finishing in last place with five homers in two rounds.
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In 2024, Liranzo hit .244 with 12 home runs, 75 walks and 102 strikeouts across 100 High-A games with Great Lakes (74 games) and West Michigan (26 games), posting a .786 OPS. He posted a .315 batting average with a 1.031 OPS to finish the season after joining the Whitecaps at the July 30 trade deadline.
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Liranzo, an offense-first catcher, is hitting .326 with 11 walks, nine strikeouts and a 1.044 OPS through 12 games in the Fall League, not including the Fall Stars Game.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers prospect Thayron Liranzo blasts epic HR in AFL game
