A number of former junior college players have navigated to the big leagues over the years -- Albert Pujols and Mike Piazza are two of the most famous examples.
While Cale Wetwiska has a ways to go before he can be mentioned in the same breath as that duo, the Tigers' No. 21 prospect would like to be the next juco bandit to crack the big leagues after starring as a two-way player at Northern Oklahoma-Enid Junior College.
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And after missing much of the first half, Wetwiska turned heads down the stretch in 2026 as he allowed just six earned runs over his final 31 2/3 innings of the season.
The start of the 2025 seventh-rounder's first full pro campaign was anything but ideal. In his second start for Single-A Lakeland on April 17, the 6-foot-2 right-hander walked off the mound in the fifth with trainers with an undisclosed injury -- one that landed Wetwiska on the injured list until June 12.
But upon his return to Lakeland on June 19 following a scoreless rehab start in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League, he showed few signs of rust.
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In his first nine outings off the IL with the Flying Tigers, Wetwiska overpowered Florida State League hitters with a 2.08 ERA, a 3.38 FIP and 9.5 K/9. His most impressive outing during that nine-game stretch was a career-high eight-strikeout performance in Single-A Lakeland's 6-2 victory over St. Lucie on Aug. 20.
Wetwiska's 60-grade fastball and 50-grade slider headlined the impressive stretch. Sitting at 94-97 mph, the four-seamer topped out at 98.2 and generated a 30.9 percent whiff rate. The offering showcased good vertical ride, averaging 17.6 inches of induced vertical break. That movement is comparable to Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler's four-seamer, which averages 17.3 inches of induced vertical break.
Meanwhile, Wetwiska showed good command of his mid-80s slider, landing it in the zone at a 47.2 percent clip.
At the end of the campaign, the Tigers promoted the 21-year-old to High-A. He made one start there, striking out four while giving up two runs over 3 1/3 innings in West Michigan's 9-4 loss to Dayton. He ultimately finished his 2026 campaign with a 2.74 ERA, a 26.7 percent strikeout rate and a 9.7 percent walk rate in 46 frames over the three Minor League levels.
Wetwiska's breakout season was particularly notable after he averaged just 89.3 mph on his fastball in his final spring on campus. The Oklahoma native has made big strides with his velocity under the eyes of the Tigers' player development team, and will look to make the next jump when he returns to the field next season.