The Detroit Tigers minor league system has been one of the worst in the majors for quite a few years now. But they still have a few guys that could come up and help the major league club. Rebuilding the Tigers’ system will have to happen through the draft. I feel the 2014 Tigers draft class was a pretty good start. Derek Hill is the jewel of the system, and guys like Grayson Greiner and Joey Pankake are waiting to break out and could make an impact with the Tigers sooner rather than later. Anyways, let’s dive in the top 10.
Note: C- is the worst grade one can get. A+ is the best.
- OF Derek Hill- I have yet to see Hill play live, but watching video of him and reading scouting reports show me that he has high potential. It’s important to remember that Hill is fresh out of high school and only had 173 pro at-bats. Keep that in mind before judging him based on his limited sample size of at-bats. Hill seems like the type of guy who’s bat will carry him to what he can be. He has been compared to a young Torii Hunter in the field, and he’s also fast, so if he develops some power and continues to improve his hitting prowess, I can see him being a very valuable piece in the future. I think Hill should be able to improve his hitting and power enough to become those things, and I feel he’s easily the top guy in the Tigers system. The Tigers will just have to be patient with him and let him develop. He will likely start off the 2015 season in Single-A West Michigan.
GRADE: A-
Upside: .290/.350/.440, 20 home runs, 20 steals a year.
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