The 2022 season has been a tough one for the Detroit Tigers but there have been some bright spots down in the farm system. After doing some research, I’m here to tell you five Tigers prospects having strong 2022 seasons for the Detroit Tigers.

5. Wencel Perez, 22-year-old second baseman, Erie Seawolves

Perez was signed on July 2, 2016, by Detroit Tigers and the 22-year-old switch-hitter has had a good year for the Erie Seawolves in 2022. After posting an 893. OPS in 206 at bats at West Michigan, Perez was called up to Erie and has performed even better. Perez has posted a 914.  OPS in150 at bats, hitting 5 homeruns and slugging 540. Perez will likely be a second basemen in the major leagues and while his defense may not be the best, he is showing that he can be at least a utility player at the MLB level with a player comparison of Ramon Santiago coming to mind

4. Izaac Pacheco, 19-year-old third basemen, West Michigan Whitecaps

Pacheco was taken with the 39th pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, as he has performed well to start his early major league career. Pacheco performed well enough in Lakeland this year, posting a 757. OPS, while also hitting 8 homeruns to earn a call up to West Michigan. In 19 at bats so far, Pacheco has also hit 2 home runs, as well as a double. The hope for the 19-year-old third basemen is to eventually become a middle of the order bat for the Tigers, and it’s safe to say his 2022 season has been a good start to his journey to Detroit.

3. Colt Keith, 21-year-old third basemen, West Michigan Whitecaps

Colt Keith is the number 6 ranked for prospects for the Detroit Tigers and the fifth-round pick from the 2020 MLB Draft is proving to be a steal so far in his early MLB career. The left-handed hitting third baseman has spent his entire season in West Michigan, posting a 914. OPS while slugging 9 homeruns. Keith is just 21 years old, and his ETA is 2024 so while the Tigers have some time with third basemen, they are hoping that he can be the future of their infield and so far, the results have been promising in his early career

2. Ty Madden, 22-year-old RHP, Erie Seawolves

The Tiger ‘s 4th ranked amungst prospects could be the steal of the 2021 MLB draft for the Tigers. Selected 32nd overall, the 22-year-old had a strong season in 2022 for West Michigan, posting a 3.10 ERA in 87 innings pitched and holding batters to just a 212. average. In 21 innings at AA, Madden has pitched to a 2.57 ERA, striking out 25 batters. Madden is still a few years away from the MLB, but as a pitcher who fell in the 2021 MLB draft, he’s looking like a middle of the rotation pitcher in the future and for the Detroit Tigers, a team that brought pitchers like Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal through the organization quickly, we could see Madden sooner rather than later.

1. Wilmer Flores,21-year-old RHP, Erie Seawolves

#Tigers Dillon Dingler and Wilmer Flores will represent Detroit in the 2022 MLB #FuturesGame.

— Emily Waldon (@EmilyCWaldon) July 7, 2022

Not that Wilmer Flores surprisingly is one of the top prospects. I don’t think many Tigers fans even heard of Wilmer Flores until this season. Now he is the number 3rd ranked prospect in Detroit Tigers organization and has had an unbelievable year in 2022. In AA, Flores has posted a 2.19 ERA in 65 innings pitched, striking out 74 batters with a WHIP at 1.02. He was dominant earlier in the season at West Michigan, striking out 35 batters in 19 innings pitched. MLB Pipeline has given Flores a 60-grade for his fastball and his curveball a 60 as well. The 21-year-old has an ETA of 2023 and while the lack of a third pitch remains a concern for Flores, his high spin-rate curveball and his high velocity fastball should carve him a path to the Detroit Tigers starting rotation one day.