Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene join semi-distinguished ranks of Detroit Tigers prospects

Detroit Free Press

If all those Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson highlights interspersed into Detroit Tigers broadcasts  — and our weekly updates — have you salivating to see them in real time, you’ll want to tune in to MLB Network at 3 p.m. today for the All-Star Futures Game live from Denver’s Coors Field.

Greene and Torkelson are set to suit up for the American League squad against, well, the National League. (It’s the second time with an AL-vs.-NL format, with previous years featuring a US-vs.-World setup. There was no Futures Game in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.)

But what do these Futures game appearances mean? Here’s a quick look at what the previous 11 Tigers selected to the midsummer prospect showcase (over six seasons) did in the game. (Hint: Matt Manning is probably glad he gets to skip the event this year.)

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2019, Cleveland

RHP Matt Manning: The Tigers’ then-No. 2 prospect allowed two runs on three hits while getting one out. He also hit a batter.

C Jake Rogers: Rogers showed some defense — he tagged out then-Reds prospect Taylor Trammell at home on an attempted steal — and a balky bat, going 0-for-1 at the plate.

3B Isaac Paredes: The then 20-year-old finished 1-for-2, including a double off Rockies prospect Ben Bowden.

2018, Washington

RHP Matt Manning: Two years after he was the Tigers’ first-round pick, he gave up two earned runs on four hits — including a tying two-run homer — over two innings for the U.S. team. The big highlight was facing fellow Tiger Dawel Lugo, playing for the National team. Manning struck out Lugo on a 95-mph fastball.

2B Dawel Lugo: The strikeout? Not a highlight. But Lugo, acquired in 2017’s J.D. Martinez trade, singled in his first at-bat and came around to score in the third inning on a World teammate’s home run.

2017, Miami

LHP Jairo Labourt: Labourt joined the Tigers organization as part of the David Price trade that also brought Matthew Boyd and Daniel Norris to Detroit. He closed out the seventh inning for the World team with a strikeout.

RHP Beau Burrows: A first-round pick (No. 22 overall) by the Tigers in 2015, Burrows threw a scoreless inning of relief for the U.S. team.

2016, San Diego

RHP Joe Jimenez: The big righty came into the game with an 0.83 ERA and continued his dominance in a brief appearance, needing just three pitches to induce a flyout with two runners on to end the second inning for the World team.’

2015, Cincinnati

RHP Joe Jimenez: In his third year in the Tigers organization, Jimenez made his first Futures appearance. He threw a perfect two-thirds of an inning, with one strikeout, in the World team’s 10-1 loss.

2014, Minneapolis

RHP Jake Thompson: The High-A starter, a second-round pick in 2012, came on in relief for the U.S. with two outs in the sixth and got the one batter he faced on a strikeout: his fellow Tigers prospect Steven Moya. Thompson needed just three pitches to get Moya, though both agreed the final pitch was hardly a strike: “The strikeout pitch might not have been a strike. But I’ll take it.” Thompson also took the win when Joey Gallo homered in the next half-inning.

OF Steven Moya: Entering the game with 22 homers and 100 strikeouts in Double-A Erie, Moya played the entire game, going 0-for 3 with two whiffs. In the fourth inning, however, he had a positive moment against a future Tiger – he drew a walk with two outs from lefty Daniel Norris.

Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @theford. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.

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