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.
Much of the young talent behind the Tigers’ resurgence has come through the Draft and the trade market. With last week’s signing of Dominican slugger Cris Rodriguez, it was time for the Tigers’ international scouting efforts to finally get some more attention.
It’s an area that has arguably been overlooked for lack of results, but it’s about to take on a bigger role, not just for Rodriguez but for who else is coming up the Tigers’ system.
Rodriguez, the No. 4 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s rankings heading into the international signing period, is the highest-ranked international prospect the Tigers have signed since MLB Pipeline began its international rankings in 2012. Ultimately, however, the Tigers’ international efforts are judged on producing Major League players. And in that area, the Tigers are making progress.
In Detroit, Keider Montero capitalized on a midseason callup to become a key part of the Tigers rotation, making 16 starts and tossing a shutout before starting a game in the AL Division Series. Wenceel Pérez became Detroit’s primary right fielder after an April promotion. Both were part of the Tigers’ 2016 international class -- Montero out of Venezuela, Pérez from the Dominican Republic.
On the horizon, the Tigers have five international signings on their Top 30 prospect list, the same number as they did at this point a year ago. But catcher Enrique Jimenez and outfielder Roberto Campos are the only holdovers of the group, with Jimenez rising from No. 18 a year ago to No. 15 now.
The ranking, too, is big. A year ago, the highest-ranked Tigers international signing was infielder Cristian Santana at 17. This year, three are in the top 15, led by No. 9 prospect and Arizona Fall League MVP Josue Briceño.
Briceño was a 2022 signing out of Venezuela for an $800,000 bonus. Whether he remains a catcher or shifts full time to first base, where he played in the Fall League, the 20-year-old’s meteoric rise has shown enough pure hitting talent -- including the first batting Triple Crown in AFL history -- to suggest he could join Max Clark (No. 2 prospect), Kevin McGonigle (No. 3) and Thayron Liranzo (No. 6) as part of the next wave of Tigers hitting prospects on track to reach Detroit within the next couple of years.
Like Briceño, No. 13 prospect Franyerber Montilla was a 2022 signing out of Venezuela, agreeing to a $500,000 bonus. The switch-hitting infielder had a challenging introduction to full-season ball at age 19, batting 6-for-63 with 25 strikeouts in 20 games at Single-A Lakeland following an August promotion from rookie ball. But his 30 stolen bases between two levels and ability to draw walks -- including 12 at Lakeland -- show the speed, athleticism and vision that could make him part of Detroit’s long-term answer at shortstop if he continues to learn and develop.
Jimenez, signed for $1.25 million out of Venezuela in the 2023 class, had a solid if not eye-popping entry to stateside ball with a .242/.366/.376 hitting performance in the Florida Complex League while throwing out 35 percent of would-be basestealers. No. 28 prospect Nestor Miranda, a $1.5 million signing out of the Dominican Republic in last year’s international class, played 22 games in the Dominican Summer League last season in his first foray into pro ball.
The X-factor in the international group is Campos (No. 25), touted out of the 2019 class as the kind of physically imposing slugger Rodriguez is hoped to be. That power from Campos has yet to flourish in a full season, though the Cuban slugger’s 10 home runs at High-A West Michigan last year marked his first time in double digits. Yet his steady upward trajectory while playing against primarily older competition hints at a chance to eventually reach the big leagues, even if he ends up being a different style of player than many might have anticipated.
Campos’ .272/.342/.425 slash line at West Michigan marked career highs, along with 11 stolen bases in 13 tries. His 29.3 percent line-drive rate, according to Statcast, was easily the highest of his career, as was his 46.7 percent pull rate. His maturation came as he turned 21 at midseason, a full year younger than the weighted average age of Midwest League hitters, while playing his second full season in the league. He had just 20 plate appearances against pitchers younger than him, and 464 against elders.
If the Tigers are going to build around young talent through the farm system, they can’t rely just on the Draft, especially as Detroit gets better and the Tigers draft later. The Tigers’ recent efforts on the international front give them another avenue to find prospects.