Here's 5 things to watch in Tigers' Spring Breakout game
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This story was excerpted from Jason Beck’s Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
While Tigers top prospect Kevin McGonigle takes his quest for a spot on the Opening Day roster to the final days of Spring Training, the depth and strengths of Detroit’s farm system take display Friday night under the lights of Brandenton’s LECOM Park in this year’s Spring Breakout game. It’ll be broadcast nationally on MLB Network beginning at 7:30 ET.
The Tigers are 2-0 in Spring Breakout history, all with Hall of Famer Alan Trammell as manager. But they’ll have their hands full taking on a Pirates farm system that ranks No. 3 in MLB’s preseason rankings and boasts five prospects in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100. The Tigers rank No. 5 and have four prospects in the Top 40, though only one will be taking part in Friday’s game.
McGonigle will be in Clearwater Friday afternoon with the Major League club taking on the Phillies, so he won’t be in Bradenton. Prospects who are still in Major League camp will not be in Spring Breakout per Tigers policy, which rules out No. 5 prospect Max Anderson, No. 15 prospect John Peck and No. 26 prospect Trei Cruz. Meanwhile, injuries to No. 4 prospect Josue Briceño, No. 6 prospect Hao-Yu Lee and No. 7 prospect Thayron Liranzo took three more top players out of consideration.
The result is a roster without several top names that have become familiar to fans over the last few years, but with several new faces worth getting to know before they start moving up the system. Here are five things to watch during the game:
Clark has been part of the Tigers’ roster for every Spring Breakout event, and had an impressive performance in last year’s game. The club’s No. 2 prospect (and MLB’s No. 10 prospect) was in big league camp with Detroit before being reassigned on March 9, but his strong play in Minor League camp has generated buzz and earned him a cameo back with the Tigers, walking and scoring their lone run on Tuesday against the Orioles. He’s still in prime position for an in-season callup with a little more development, and could be in Triple-A Toledo as soon as the start of the season.
Clark is a dynamic, multi-tooled player worth watching at all times, but especially in this event. The goal of spreading awareness of the game and its best young players is right up his alley.
Rainer, the Tigers’ No. 3 prospect (and MLB’s No. 35), was the star of the Tigers’ Spring Breakout win last year. It was his unofficial pro debut, and it provided the momentum for him to get off to a hot start at Single-A Lakeland. A dislocated right shoulder on a dive back into first base halted all that momentum, ending his 2025 season, but he has progressed far enough in his rehab this spring that he’ll play Friday as the designated hitter. It’ll be a small sample size for how he looks post-injury, but it’ll be a look at an impact bat and potentially the Tigers’ next top prospect at this point a year from now.
Stateside debut for Cris Rodriguez
The Tigers’ top prospect list is heavy on former MLB Draft picks, but Rodriguez is a notable exception. Detroit signed Rodriguez in January 2025 for a franchise-record $3,197,500 bonus, but Friday marks his unofficial stateside debut after he spent last year in the Dominican Summer League. He’s already the Tigers’ No. 8 prospect.
Rodriguez’s raw power alone makes him the most intriguing player in this game on the Tigers’ side, but his elite bat speed and strong arm could also go on display. Aside from Clark, Rodriguez might have the best chance among Detroit’s prospects to produce a viral clip from this game that people are talking about the next day.
Encore for Jordan Yost
Yost, the Tigers’ No. 9 prospect, created a buzz on Sunday by slugging a grand slam for the big club in a Spring Training rout of the Yankees. It was his unofficial first professional at-bat, and it was a statement swing from a prospect whose power was a question when the Tigers drafted him with their top pick last summer. It was Yost’s only at-bat in the game, and since he pinch-hit for DH Kerry Carpenter, he didn’t appear in the field. Friday should give fans a longer look at the teenager.
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Pitching depth
The Tigers’ system is loaded with highly regarded position players but is considered to be light on the pitching side. Just two ranked pitching prospects are on Detroit’s Spring Breakout roster, in part because the ranked prospects drafted last year were not under consideration as they ease into their pro careers. Still, this is a chance to get to know some of the pitchers who have a chance to emerge, pitchers like No. 18 prospect Lucas Elissalt, last year’s Florida State League Pitcher of the Year. Keep an eye on unranked prospects like hard-throwing reliever Yosber Sanchez and lanky left-hander Johan Simon, who was acquired from the Blue Jays.