Mike Gerber

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #14 prospect in 2018
  A four-year starter at Creighton, Gerber has proven an excellent 15th-round senior sign for the Tigers. He led the organization with a .304 batting average and was on the verge of a promotion to Triple-A when an oblique strain forced him to the DL for six weeks. Gerber did make it up to Toledo for the final week of the season. Gerber is one of the purest hitters in the system. His bat comes through the strike zone on a level path, which leads to a lot of contact and more line drives than long flies. He's a plus hitter with 15-20 home run potential. If he were a little better in center field, he would profile as an everyday regular. But as a fringe-average defender in center, he is more likely to end up as a productive fourth outfielder who can play all three outfield spots with an above-average arm. He's an average runner. The Tigers added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Gerber will head to Toledo to start 2018, but he's a viable call-up option if the Tigers need an outfielder.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #7 prospect in 2017
  Gerber was a 40th-round pick out of high school (Yankees) but wasn't drafted after his junior year at Creighton, because he missed part of the season with an appendectomy. He played with his brother David (a righthander) as a senior with the Bluejays before the Tigers drafted him, and he has moved aggressively, playing in the Arizona Fall League last year and finishing 2016 at Double-A Erie. Gerber starts with a swing geared more for line drives than over-the-fence power, but he's got more juice than might be expected. He worked to shorten his swing in 2016 and made strides in his recognition of offspeed pitches. He's not afraid to take a walk, but the deep counts contribute to his strikeout rate, which spiked to 27 percent in 2016, up from 16 percent in 2015. However, he walked and homered more often. He plays all three outfield spots, and his above-average arm strength and average speed fit him best in right field. Gerber is likely ticketed for a return to Double-A. Maintaining improved home run power while making more contact could make him a future regular, though his versatility may allow him to stick in Detroit eventually as a fourth outfielder.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #3 prospect in 2016
  It didn't take long to realize that the Tigers snagged a sleeper in Gerber as a 15thround senior sign out of Creighton in 2014. After impressing scouts in his pro debut in the short-season New York-Penn League that summer, Gerber followed it up by hitting well in a conservative assignment to low Class A West Michigan, then built upon that with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. Gerber is a well-rounded player with a mature hitting approach. He puts together quality at-bats, recognizes pitches well and has a sound swing with good balance. He's a short-armed hitter who keeps the barrel in the hitting zone for a long time, which enables him to make frequent contact and stay through the middle of the field. His strong wrists and forearms help him generate solid-average raw power to go deep to any part of the field, even in a pitcher's park, with a chance for 20 homers. A center fielder in college, Gerber moved to right field with the Tigers and has played well there, with average speed and an above-average arm. Some scouts remain skeptical of Gerber, believing he might top out as an extra outfielder along the lines of Tyler Collins. Others see a multi-dimensional player who could develop into an everyday right fielder with the ability to contribute at the plate and in the field more like Kole Calhoun. After Gerber's AFL success, he's a candidate to open 2016 in Double-A.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #19 prospect in 2015
  The Tigers may have found a late-round bargain in Gerber, a promising hitter who went in the 15th round as a senior sign out of Creighton in 2014. His strong wrists and forearms help him generate plus raw power. He's an aggressive hitter who gave some scouts concerns in college because they worried about his contact rate, but he squared up plenty of pitches in pro ball. Pro scouts liked his balance, pitch recognition and that his bat stayed in the zone a long time, though he can get long at times and his offensive profile will likely always be power over hitting. Gerber was a quality defensive center fielder in college but he's not a burner and fits better in right field, where he played after signing and showed a plus arm. He should go to low Class A West Michigan in 2015 with a chance to boost his stock significantly.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #326 prospect in 2014 draft
  The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Gerber missed a month of his junior season with an appendectomy last year and wound up returning for his senior season. Despite his modest stature, Gerber has plus raw power with strength in his wrists and forearms. He hit 11 home runs in 2014, leading the Big East Conference. He's a strong college defender in center field with an above-average arm, though he fits better on a corner in pro ball. Aggressive to a fault at the plate, he sacrifices contact for power and hit just .278 in his college career. His younger brother David pitches for the Bluejays.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Gerber was a 40th-round pick out of high school (Yankees) but wasn't drafted after his junior year at Creighton, because he missed part of the season with an appendectomy. He played with his brother David (a righthander) as a senior with the Bluejays before the Tigers drafted him, and he has moved aggressively, playing in the Arizona Fall League last year and finishing 2016 at Double-A Erie. Scouting Report: Gerber starts with a swing geared more for line drives than over-the-fence power, but he's got more juice than might be expected. He worked to shorten his swing a bit in 2016 and made strides in his recognition of offspeed pitches as well. He's not afraid to take a walk, but the deep counts contribute to his strikeout rate, which spiked to 27 percent in 2016, up from 16 percent in 2015. However, he walked and homered more often, and has some feel for hitting. He plays all three outfield spots, and his above-average arm strength and average speed fit him best in right field.
  
  The Future: Gerber is likely ticketed for a return to Double-A to begin 2017. Maintaining improved home run power while making a bit more contact could make him a future regular, though his versatility may allow him to stick in Detroit eventually as a fourth outfielder.