Detroit Tigers Breakout MLB Prospects Entering 2024
Entering 2024, we’re examining multiple Tigers prospects on the verge of a breakout season. To qualify as a breakout prospect for this exercise, a player must rank outside the Top 10 Prospects in his organization entering the year.
You can find all of our preseason prospect rankings here and a link to breakouts for all 30 teams here.
Tigers Top Prospects In 2024
We rank the top players in Detroit’s system entering the season complete with new scouting reports, tools, grades & more.
Breakout Prospects
Preseason rank: 18
BA Grade: 50. Risk: Extreme.
Track Record: Briceño was one of the Tigers’ top international signees in 2022, and the Tigers were impressed with the long and lanky catcher. He’s filled out pretty quickly into a strong, if quite tall at 6-foot-4, catcher. Briceño was one of the stars of the Florida Complex League. He finished top 10 in the league in most offensive categories and earned a late-season promotion to Low-A Lakeland.
Scouting Report: Briceño, like many tall catchers, needs to continue working on his defense. He has above-average arm strength, but his exchange and long arm stroke keeps him from consistently posting better than fringe-average pop times. His blocking also needs to continue to improve. The Tigers have reason to hope he can become an average defender someday, but opposing scouts see him more likely sliding to first base eventually. He has above-average power for his age, and with his big frame and leverage, should continue to develop as a power threat. He demonstrated better-than-expected contact skills in 2023 and was consistently a tough out in both the Florida Complex League and Florida State League.
The Future: Briceño’s catching needs lots of work, but his offensive potential is intriguing. He should be one of the best hitters in the Florida State League in 2024.
Scouting Grades
Hitting: 50. Power: 55. Fielding: 40. Run: 30. Arm: 40.
Dylan Smith, RHP
Preseason rank: 21
BA Grade: 50. Risk: Extreme.
Track Record: An 18th-round pick of the Padres out of high school, Smith didn’t sign and was ineffective and barely pitched at Alabama in his first two years, but he became a star for the Crimson Tide as a junior, even if his 2-8, 3.84 record didn’t always make that clear. Alabama scored two or fewer runs in half of his 16 starts. After missing a month in 2022, Smith missed a further three months in 2023 with a right forearm strain. He was sent to the Arizona Fall League to make up for lost innings, but he posted a 7.29 ERA in six starts.
Scouting Report: As was true in his college career, Smith remains alluring to scouts, even if heís not been healthy long enough to get on a roll in pro ball. When heís feeling good and is stretched out, he can attack hitters with an average 93-95 mph fastball, a plus slider with solid tilt and a fringe-average changeup. He doesn’t throw his below-average curve very often anymore. Smith has a high-energy, athletic delivery and he’s shown the ability to dot the corners of the zone when he’s not knocking off rust from another injured list stint.
The Future: If Smith can string together a full season when his arm is healthy, he could rocket up these rankings. He spots his fastball, can spin a breaking ball and gets swings and misses.
Scouting Grades
Fastball: 50. Curveball: 40. Slider: 60. Changeup: 45. Control: 55.
