DETROIT, MI – JULY 14: Casey Mize #74 of the Detroit Tigers looks on and smiles during the Detroit Tigers Summer Workouts at Comerica Park on July 14, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Detroit Tigers have used 12 rookies already. Here’s how they’ve fared.
If you’re wondering, 12 rookies is exactly average in this very strange year. A few teams have already called on more than 20 first-year players this season, and the Tigers themselves called up 25 rookies last year.
But this crop of rookies feels a bit different. In many ways the future of the Detroit Tigers franchise depends on the eventual performance of their current prospects, so we thought we’d check in on the rookie class of 2020 to see how they’re adjusting to the big leagues.
The sample sizes are small, and the jump from minor-league baseball to the Bigs is incredibly difficult, so we won’t be closing the book on any of these players. But an early look might help us learn how they can improve.
Note – We aren’t looking at the rookies Beau Burrows, Anthony Castro, Derek Hill, or David McKay, because they haven’t played enough.