Gerber, Ziomek are Tigers' Prospects of Year

DETROIT -- Class A West Michigan outfielder Michael Gerber and Class A Advanced Lakeland left-hander Kevin Ziomek were selected by MLBPipeline.com as the Tigers' hitting and pitching Prospects of the Year, as announced on Thursday.

Gerber, a 15th-round pick in the 2014 Draft out of Creighton University, put up an all-around stellar season in his first full pro campaign for the Midwest League finalists, batting .292 (150-for-513) with 31 doubles, 10 triples, 13 home runs, 76 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 20 attempts. The production earned him a spot on the Tigers' Top 30 prospects list, cracking the rankings at No. 19 after not being ranked at all going into the season.

Ziomek, a second-round Draft pick two years ago out of Vanderbilt, graduated from West Michigan to Lakeland going into the season and took on the learning curve. Despite a 9-11 record, he posted a 3.43 ERA over 27 starts and 154 2/3 innings, including two complete games. He allowed just three home runs all season to go with 34 walks while striking out 143.

Video: Top Prospects: Kevin Ziomek, LHP, Tigers

Ziomek actually dropped this season in the MLBpipeline rankings, from fourth going into the season to eighth. But four of the players ahead of him -- including first-round pick Beau Burrows and trade acquisitions Michael Fulmer, Matt Boyd and Luis Cessa -- weren't in the organization when the season began.

Winners were chosen by MLB Pipeline. All players under consideration had to have been on the Top 30 prospect rankings at some point this season, and must have spent at least half the season in the Minor Leagues.