Tigers prospects can make for a tough All-Star team

Last Updated: June 28. 2010 1:00AM
Minor-league report
Tigers prospects can make for a tough All-Star team
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

There are all-stars in the big leagues, of course. And there are all-star teams within each of the minor leagues.

But it seems there hasn't been any impassioned effort to name a midseason Detroit Tigers farm system All-Star team.

And so we will strive to end this injustice with just that: a group of all-stars representing the Tigers' organizational interests at their four seasonlong minor league stops: Triple-A Toledo, Double-A Erie, Class A Lakeland, and Class A West Michigan.

The following list is arbitrary, for sure (if you've played on the big league team, you aren't eligible). But that's to offer a better profile of the kids who are vying to someday win a ticket to Comerica Park or some such big league encampment.

Catcher

Robinzon Diaz, Triple-A Toledo

This is the Tigers' weakest minor league position. Diaz hasn't yet played in Detroit, and perhaps never will. But he has hit well during June and his average is up to .245.

First base

Rawley Bishop, Class A Lakeland

He lashed the baseball fiercely at Lakeland: .301 batting average, six home runs, 42 RBIs. Bishop, 24, was a 19th-round draft pick in 2009 from Middle Tennessee State. He's 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, a right-handed batter, and was recently promoted to Erie.

Second base

Alden Carrithers, Class A Lakeland

Carrithers was a 15th-round draft pick in 2008 (UCLA) and, while short in stature (5-foot-9, 165), is immense in heart. Carrithers, a left-handed batter, was batting .359 with a .464 on-base percentage and .423 slugging percentage before he was promoted to Erie.

Third base

Wade Gaynor, Class A West Michigan

After a slow start, the 6-4, 225-pound Gaynor has hit for average (.263) and power (seven homers, 27 RBIs). Now that his swing has caught up with his physical frame, he's flourishing, as at least a couple of Tigers scouts projected.

Shortstop

Hernan Perez, Class A West Michigan

In naming Perez, we are alerting all Tigers organizational shortstops that the glove is not enough. Highlight-film defense will not, alone, butter the bread.

Perez, 19, has slammed a couple of home runs for the Whitecaps while hitting .232. Put a few more pounds on him (6-foot, 160) and no telling what you'll have here.

Left field

Ryan Strieby, Triple-A Toledo

The 6-5, 235 pound Strieby has magnificent power, but what the Tigers worship about his skill set is that he's a fine core hitter. He can take the ball to the opposite field. He can pull it. He can shoot the gaps. He's hitting .234 with eight homers and 31 RBIs despite missing a month because of a wrist injury.

Center field

Jamie Johnson, Class A West Michigan

Johnson, a seventh-round pick in 2009 (University of Oklahoma), is hitting .301, with an on-base average of .399 and slugging percentage of .403.
Right field

Avisail Garcia, Class A West Michigan

Garcia turned 19 on June 12. The question is where he will be at 20. Lakeland? Erie? Maybe dress-rehearsing for a call-up by the Tigers? Garcia, 6-3, 165 pounds, has some of the finest gifts of any Tigers prospect.

The scouts pay him the ultimate homage: five-tool player. He hits for average (.274), for power (27 RBIs), he plays defense, he runs, he throws -- and at an exceptional level.

Starting pitchers

Jacob Turner, RHP, Class A West Michigan

He has a place at the top of the Tigers' list of premier pitching prospects. Turner, 19, shook off a mild forearm problem and has been right on course since, throwing an array of power pitches. He was elevated to Lakeland last week. He was 2-3 with a 3.67 ERA at West Michigan. He figures to get his first taste of Detroit sometime in 2012.

Giovanni Soto, LHP, Class A West Michigan

A 19-year-old Whitecaps pitcher (5-5, 2.00 ERA) who looks as if he has a pleasant future in Detroit. He has electric stuff and should move up the ladder fairly rapidly.

Charlie Furbush, LHP, Class A Lakeland

Furbush's challenge will be to do at Erie what he has been doing at Lakeland in his breakout year. There's his test. He was not an upper-tier Tigers prospect until this year, in part because of past Tommy John surgery. But now he's a serious player. He was promoted to Erie after going 4-5 at Lakeland with a 3.39 ERA. He had 14 walks and 109 strikeouts in 77 innings.

Brayan Villarreal, RHP, Class A Lakeland

Villarreal (7-3, 3.10 ERA) could be the best right-handed prospect in the system this side of Turner. He has a chance to move rapidly if he can finish off a big season at Lakeland.

Relief pitchers

Daniel Schlereth, LHP, Triple-A Toledo

No relief pitcher in the Tigers' system has Schlereth's repertoire. But he needs to throw all of his upper-tier pitches for strikes (32 innings, 26 walks, 43 strikeouts), which is why he's serving an internship at Toledo. He has the talent to be in Detroit -- for good -- by next season.

Robbie Weinhardt, RHP, Triple-A Toledo

Has a 2.35 ERA but has been dealing with some minor health issues. Another who -- barring physical hang-ups -- should be in Detroit by 2011.

Lester Oliveros, RHP, Class A Lakeland

Recently promoted to Erie after getting nine saves in Lakeland, he could move into the picture as early as next spring. Had six walks and 24 strikeouts in 19 innings. Nice pitcher in the making here.

Anthony Shawler, RHP, Double-A Erie

He's 23, but only two years out of college (Old Dominion) after the Tigers grabbed him with a ninth-round pick. Shawler has his moments (29 strikeouts in 31 innings). But he tends to be effective.

Zach Simons, RHP, Double-A Erie

He looks as if he wants to be in the big leagues. And now. Simons has 37 strikeouts and 11 walks in 35 1/3 innings.

Matt Hoffman, LHP, Triple-A Toledo

He has been promoted twice this season, which was a product of his sterling numbers at Lakeland: 16 games, 1.59 ERA, .215 opponent batting average.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100628/SPORTS0104/6280340#ixzz0sD9t904o