Tyler Alexander

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #4 prospect in 2017
  The Tigers drafted Alexander in the 23rd round in 2013, and then again in 2015 after he spent two seasons at Texas Christian. A draft-eligible sophomore, Alexander signed for $1 million in the second round to forgo his junior year. He dominated the short-season New York-Penn League in his pro debut and finished 2016 at Double-A Erie with six scoreless innings in his final start. Alexander won't wow anybody with his stuff, but he uses command and guile to carve up hitters just the same. He parks his fastball in the 89-91 mph range but can reach back to hit 94 when necessary. He is advanced enough to manipulate the break on his slider depending on the situation. He'll throw a looser version early in counts and tighten the pitch for chases late. Both the slider and his changeup earn average grades. His repertoire is enhanced by above-average command and exceptional control that have allowed him to walk just 24 hitters in 168.2 career innings--a rate of 1.3 per nine innings. He also earns praise for his unflappability and maturity on the mound. Alexander will start back at Double-A and could move quickly enough to get a taste of the big leagues at the end of 2017. He has a future as a back-end starter.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #28 prospect in 2016
  Alexander passed on signing with the Tigers out of high school when the organization drafted him in the 23rd round in 2013. After two years at Texas Christian, the Tigers drafted him in the second round as a draft-eligible sophomore, with a $1 million signing bonus persuading Alexander to join the organization. He pitched well in the short-season New York-Penn League after signing. Alexander's stuff is fringy, relying on location, deception and trying to get early-count outs. He has excellent command of his fastball, which sits at 88-90 mph and touches 92. He moves it around the zone, hits the corners and helps put him in advantageous counts. That's been enough to have success so far, but Alexander will need to develop his secondary pitches against better hitters. He throws a hybrid breaking ball, sometimes taking the shape of a slow, loopy curveball early in the count, but more often using a sweepy slider. He also throws a fringe-average changeup. Alexander's feel for pitching helps his pure stuff play up, with an overall profile similar to fellow Tigers lefty Kyle Lobstein that could eventually lead him to the back of a rotation.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #327 prospect in 2015 draft
  A second-team freshman All-American last season, Alexander was a key part of one of the deepest rotations in the nation as a draft-eligible sophomore. Alexander succeeds with a below-average 88-90 mph fastball because he spots it impeccably and mixes in a sweepy slider and a potentially fringe-average changeup. His arm speed picked up during the season, which helped his fastball gain a tick or two and created more separation between his changeup and fastball. Alexander doesn't have an above-average pitch, but his excellent control gives him a chance to be a potential back-of-the-rotation starter because of as a savvy lefthander.
• Ranked #216 prospect in 2013 draft
  Alexander is the most polished pitcher in Texas this spring--college or high school. After a slow start, he got on a roll in April, taking a no-hitter into the seventh and final inning of three consecutive starts and closing the deal in the last of those outings. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder may be more lean than projectable, because he hasn't added much velocity in the last two years. He generally works at 87-89 mph and tops out at 91 mph. Alexander's fastball plays up because he can throw strikes with all of his secondary pitches. He throws two different breaking balls, with his curveball drawing more praise than his slider, and a changeup with sink. He shows tremendous feel for pitching for a prep lefthander, but his size and fastball probably mean that he won't get picked high enough to divert him from Texas Christian. If he joins the Horned Frogs, he'll be draft-eligible as a sophomore in 2015.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked New York-Penn League #12 prospect in 2015
  The Tigers like Alexander so much that they drafted him twice, first taking him as a 23rd-rounder in 2013 and then again as a second-rounder this June. He was part of one of the deepest college pitching staffs in the country at Texas Christian, joining rotation mates Alex Young, Preston Morrison and closer Riley Ferrell as Horned Frogs drafted in the top 10 rounds. Alexander doesn't throw quite as hard as Young or Ferrell, but what he lacks in velocity, he makes up for in command and polish. He sits 88-90 mph and touches a bit higher, getting plenty of groundball outs. He adds a slurve-like slider and fringy changeup. Nothing Alexander throws is plus, but his ability to locate and feel for pitching make him a potential back-of-the-rotation starter. The Tigers limited Alexander to three innings per start this summer, but he made the most of that limited workload. Connecticut manager Mike Rabelo lauded Alexander's ability to work both sides of the plate and pound the strike zone.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The Tigers drafted Alexander in the 23rd round in 2013, and then again in 2015 after he spent two seasons at Texas Christian. A draft-eligible sophomore, Alexander signed for $1 million in the second round to forgo his junior year. He dominated the short-season New York-Penn League in his pro debut and finished 2016 at Double-A Erie with six scoreless innings in his final start. Scouting Report: Alexander won't wow anybody with his stuff, but he uses command and guile to carve up hitters just the same. He parks his fastball in the 89-91 mph range but can reach back to hit 94 when necessary. He is advanced enough to manipulate the break on his slider depending on the situation. He'll throw a looser version early in counts and tighten the pitch for chases late. Both the slider and his changeup earn average grades. His repertoire is enhanced by above-average command and exceptional control that have allowed him to walk just 24 hitters in 168.2 career innings--a rate of 1.3 per nine innings. He also earns praise for his unflappability and maturity on the mound.
  
  The Future: Alexander will start back at Double-A and could move quickly enough to get a taste of the big leagues at the end of 2017. He has a future as a back-end starter.