3 Tigers Who Will Be Rookie of the Year Candidates in 2020
By Max Smith
Following an unsurprisingly poor season in 2019, the Detroit Tigers will be a much more exciting squad this season, if nothing else. The MLB ranked the Tigers farm system as fifth best in the majors, which is extremely promising for the organization moving forward. These three pitchers have the potential to lock down spots in the Tigers rotation for years to come and will contend for the AL Rookie of the Year this season.
3. Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal is a hard throwing left-hander out of Seattle University. In Spring Training, he was already making a huge impression. In one outing against the Red Sox, he struck out the side of three MLB players in only 10 pitches. Last year, he progressed all the way to AA, and he's expected to be a big part of the team this season. The Tigers are very excited to see what he can bring to the table his rookie year.
2. Matt Manning
The former ninth-overall pick in 2016 is finally ready to have a major impact in the majors. Manning is an incredible athlete who could have pursued a college basketball career, but opted to play baseball. This seems to have been the right decision, as FanGraphs ranked Manning as the 12th best prospect in all of baseball. Manning has been steadily improving since the Tigers drafted him. Now, his off-speed pitches are dominant along with his fastball, which clocks in the mid-90s.
1. Casey Mize
As the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, expectations have always been high for RHP Casey Mize. He is yet to disappoint as a member of the Tigers organization. Mize dominated A and AA ball last season, and is set to make his MLB debut this season. Without a doubt, he has the highest ceiling in the Tigers organization. Mize's greatest pitch at this point is his splitter, which can make hitters at any level whiff. All baseball fans should learn this name, because he'll soon become one of the MLB's best pitchers.