In many ways, the Detroit Tigers’ farm system is brimming with stars. Kevin McGonigle has lit the world on fire. Fellow infielder Max Anderson is right there with him. Max Clark, Josue Briceño, Hao-Yu Lee, Bryce Rainer … and the list of talented youngsters goes on and on.
However, when one starts to name all of the glistening gems in the Tigers’ system, one thing becomes glaringly obvious. There are no arms. Baseball America’s (subscription required) choice for Tigers breakout prospect to watch might change that, but the selection should also raise some eyebrows and set off some alarm bells about the state of the system.
Their choice, Malachi Witherspoon, is intriguing, but the 2025 draftee wasn’t even the best member of his family drafted this year (that honor goes to his twin brother Kyson). It also further highlights what is currently ailing Detroit’s pipeline.
Malachi Witherspoon being named Tigers breakout prospect by Baseball America is cause for concern
Perusing the Tigers’ top-30 prospect list, it becomes clear that the system leans heavily toward offense. Only one hurler ranks in the top-10, and that’s 23-year-old right-hander Jaden Hamm at No. 10. Hamm spent most of his time in Double-A Erie, and things didn’t go super well with a 4.88 ERA in 88 innings.
Outside of Hamm, the next highest-ranked pitching prospect is Witherspoon, who is just one spot behind Hamm. The 21-year-old University of Oklahoma product has yet to throw a professional pitch, and his time at Norman is a little concerning.
Witherspoon was selected by Detroit in the second round following a season in which he transitioned from the Sooners’ bullpen to the rotation. In 15 starts, he recorded a 5.09 ERA, which was only a marginal improvement from the 5.64 ERA he owned as a reliever in 2024.
With that, he has some glaring flaws. Witherspoon can reach back and hit the high-90s with his fastball, but it’s flat and often gets hit hard. His command is spotty, and he doesn’t locate either of his breaking balls well, let alone his fastball. His most likely projection is as a reliever, which isn’t how most top MLB relievers start out.
This isn’t to say Witherspoon can’t figure it out with pro coaching, but there are some serious questions. Those questions are emblematic of the rest of the hurlers in the Tigers’ system.
Next up in the pecking order is 2024 second-rounder Owen Hall, who has only thrown nine pro innings so far. After him comes lefty Andrew Sears, who, like Hamm, stalled out once he reached Double-A, posting a 5.02 ERA at Erie.
Then there’s Ty Madden, who tossed 23 decent big league innings, posting a 4.30 ERA in 2024. Those came on the heels of a 7.97 ERA showing in Triple-A Toledo. Madden missed the entire 2025 season with a rotator cuff strain suffered in spring training.
This isn’t to say that any or all of these youngsters can’t turn into quality pitchers, but it’s clear that the pitching lags way behind the hitting in terms of both achievement and potential down on the farm.
That could cause issues later on, with Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, and Jack Flaherty all being free agents after the 2026 season. Replacing an ace is hard enough, but replacing your No. 2 and No. 3 starters in addition is nearly impossible if you don’t have a few high-end options in the system banging down the big league door.
To that end, 2026 will be a make-or-break year for many of the Tigers’ top pitching prospects, but the ship for the system to be used as a reliable rotation pipeline may have already sailed.