Daniel Fields

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #26 prospect in 2015
  A key draft pick for the Tigers in 2009, Fields signed in the sixth round for $1.625 million out of high school. His father is Tigers hitting coordinator Bruce Fields, but Daniel was regarded more for his athleticism than his hitting polish at the time, so it was stunning when the Tigers started him as a 19-year-old at high Class A Lakeland in 2010. Fields spent three years in Lakeland before showing signs of life at the plate at Double-A Erie in 2013, but he struggled again upon a promotion to Triple-A Toledo in 2014, including two months on the sidelines after he broke his right hand getting hit by a pitch in May. He is prone to swinging and missing, though he eliminated a leg kick during the 2014 season to try to simplify his approach and improve his timing, and he has average raw power. Fields is athletic but he's a fringe-average runner and isn't a true center fielder, profiling better in left field with a fringy arm. The Tigers already have lefthanded-hitting Tyler Collins on the cusp, and in the offseason they traded for center fielder Anthony Gose, another lefthanded hitter and a superior defender, so Fields doesn't have a clear path to Detroit, even as a reserve. Thus, he's slated to return to Toledo.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #22 prospect in 2014
  When Fields signed for $1.625 million out of high school as a sixth-round pick in 2009, he was athletic but raw. Yet Detroit skipped Fields over the low Class A Midwest League and sent him straight to high Class A Lakeland in 2010 as a 19-year-old, where he understandably looked over his head. After three straight seasons in Lakeland, Fields went to Double-A Erie and put together the best season of his career. Adding size and strength over the last few years has helped, giving him more quickness to his swing. While Fields' offensive production improved, his strikeout rate went up, as his uppercut stroke leaves him with holes. He uses the whole field, with a tick above-average raw power. Fields, whose father Bruce returned to the organization in 2013 as roving hitting instructor, is a fringy runner whose basestealing acumen has improved. He gets good reads off the bat, but he has a fringy arm and isn't a true center fielder. His best defensive fit might be left field, but he doesn't have the bat to be an everyday player. Triple-A Toledo will be the next step.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #30 prospect in 2013
  It's impossible to know what Fields' career might look like now if he hadn't been pushed to high Class A after signing for $1,625,000 out of high school in 2009. It makes for interesting game of "what if" because his production never has matched his intriguing tools. While he hit just .266/.318/.357 in his third stint at Lakeland last year, he was still relatively young for his level and played well when he advanced to Double-A in August. Expectations for Fields' bat have diminished. He's a below-average hitter but has a professional approach and knows how to use the whole field, lessons imparted by his father Bruce, a former Tigers outfielder and hitting coach. Daniel has strength and above-average raw power, but it doesn't translate into games because he doesn't make enough contact. He's a good athlete who played shortstop in high school. He has solid speed and is learning to read pitchers, resulting in a career-high 23 steals in 2012. He takes good routes and has average arm strength in center field. Fields still is young enough to develop into a regular, but a more realistic projection is that he could become a useful fourth outfielder. He'll open this season back in Erie.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #27 prospect in 2012
  The Tigers have aggressively pushed Fields more than any player in the system. The son of former Tigers hitting coach and current Indians coach Bruce Fields, Daniel gave up a Michigan commitment to sign for $1.625 million as a sixth-round pick in 2009. Detroit threw him into the fire by sending him to high Class A at age 19 for his pro debut, and he predictably struggled. He repeated the Florida State League in 2011 and regressed, though he still was one of the circuit's youngest players. Fields shows some ability to work the count but swings and misses too often. He has average raw power that doesn't play in games because of his lack of contact, and he was more of a gap-to-gap hitter last year. Fields was praised for his athleticism coming out of high school, but scouts now wonder if he has the ability to play a premium position. Drafted as a shortstop, he moved to center field as a pro and may be a better defensive fit in a corner. He's an average runner with a fringy arm. The 2012 season will be critical for Fields to reverse his slide and reclaim his prospect stock. He's still not ready to advance to Double-A.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #5 prospect in 2011
  His father Bruce won three minor league batting titles and played briefly in the majors, allowing Daniel to grow up around the game. He homered in batting practice at Comerica Park as a 12-year-old in 2003, when Bruce was the Tigers' batting coach. Detroit signed Fields away from a Michigan commitment with a $1.625 million bonus as a sixth-round pick in 2009, then made him the youngest regular in the high Class A Florida State League in his 2010 pro debut. The system's best athlete, Fields has above-average speed and power potential. He showed maturity while jumping from Michigan high school baseball to high Class A, remaining patient at the plate and holding his own. He's still learning how to recognize pitches and deal with quality lefthanders. The Tigers would like to see him put his speed to better use on the basepaths. Drafted as a shortstop, Fields moved to center field and adjusted well, though he's still learning to throw from a higher arm slot to give his throws more carry. Fields will almost certainly repeat in Lakeland. That shouldn't be taken as a slight, but the Tigers are in a tough spot with Fields--they can't send him down after a respectable year, but he's definitely not ready for Double-A yet.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #9 prospect in 2010
  Fields grew up around baseball, as his father Bruce won three minor league batting titles and reached the big league briefly with the Tigers and Mariners. He was Detroit's big league batting coach in 2003, when he let Daniel take batting practice at Comerica Park and the 12-year-old wowed onlookers by homering with a wood bat. The Tigers lured Fields away from a Michigan commitment with an over-slot bonus of $1.625 million after selecting him in the sixth round last June. Fields is a quality athlete with the strength and natural lift in his lefthanded swing to hit home runs. Though he's a below-average runner out of the box, he grades out as plus underway. He runs the 60-yard dash in 6.6 seconds and has the instincts to steal bases. His arm rates as average to a tick above. Detroit also praises his makeup and work ethic. Though he'll get every opportunity to stay at shortstop, Fields is big for the position and doesn't have a quick first step. He'll have to work hard to remain there, but most scouts project that he'll have to shift to third base or the outfield. The best athlete in the system, Fields excites the Tigers with his power-speed combination and good bloodlines. He'll get his pro career started in low Class A.

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  A key draft pick for the Tigers in 2009, Fields signed in the sixth round for $1.625 million out of high school. His father is Tigers hitting coordinator Bruce Fields, but Daniel was regarded more for his athleticism than his hitting polish at the time, so it was stunning when the Tigers started him as a 19-year-old at high Class A Lakeland in 2010. Fields spent three years in Lakeland before showing signs of life at the plate at Double-A Erie in 2013, but he struggled again upon a promotion to Triple-A Toledo in 2014, including two months on the sidelines after he broke his right hand getting hit by a pitch in May. He is prone to swinging and missing, though he eliminated a leg kick during the 2014 season to try to simplify his approach and improve his timing, and he has average raw power. Fields is athletic but he's a fringe-average runner and isn't a true center fielder, profiling better in left field with a fringy arm. The Tigers already have lefthanded-hitting Tyler Collins on the cusp, and in the offseason they traded for center fielder Anthony Gose, another lefthanded hitter and a superior defender, so Fields doesn't have a clear path to Detroit, even as a reserve. Thus, he's slated to return to Toledo.