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When Matt Joyce hit a grand slam to break up Max Scherzer's no-hit bid in the sixth, I came upstairs to continue my series of looks at each position in the Tigers' minors. When I discovered Matt Garza finished his no-hit bid, I figured I'd better finish this post so you Tiger fans would have something to read about other than the Tigers getting no-hit. So, I give you the third installment in my series.
Obviously, second base is a little bit of a mess right now in the Tigers’ system. You had Sizemore called up when Inge’s hand was broken and then they had to call up Will Rhymes after Guillen’s trip to the DL. It’s a bit of an all hands on deck situation. As usual, that caused a ripple effect and now the Tigers’ two most advanced farm teams - who were both in last place already - are feeling the sting of the Tigers’ desperation. Those good times, they’re just a rollin’ aren’t they?
Detroit
Will Rhymes
I didn’t include the major leaguers when I did catchers and first basemen, but I’m making an exception for Rhymes because he’s obviously part of the Tigers’ depth considerations since he’s currently on the Tigers. I don’t mean to sell him short, but that’s more a function of the Tigers’ situation than an indicator of his status as a prospect.
He’s certainly hitting better this year than last, but the improvement is owed almost completely to a jump in his batting average from .260 to .304. That’s a big jump, but it’s owed to fewer strikeouts and more hits falling for him than a big jump in his secondary skills. His walk rate is up just 0.5% from last year (7.9 to 8.4) and his isolated power has gone from .094 to .110. He’s been a valuable member of the Hens this year, and improvement is good of course. It’s just that despite hitting more fly balls and a few more line drives, he’s very much the same hitter he’s always been. That's one who's too dependent on batting average and who will be stretched to succeed in the majors.
Toledo
Justin Henry
Max Leon
Henry was actually called up to the Hens when Scott Sizemore went back to Detroit, but like Rhymes his promotion is about necessity. While you can make an argument Rhymes is being rewarded for a good season (they did choose him over Brent Dlugach), Henry seems to just be going where he’s needed. He’s hitting .260/.371/.355 for the SeaWolves and he’s just not the kind of hitter who can afford to be hitting for that low of an average. Looking on the bright side, he hit well for Toledo (.353/.476/.412 in 22 PA) in limited time so far.
Leon is playing the role of utility man for the Hens, and has actually been a designated hitter more often than anything else. That’s not really where his value is when you consider he’s hitting .241/.318/.353 in his 215 plate appearances. He’s filled the role because players more suited for it are trying to learn new positions.
Erie
Alden Carrithers
Shawn Roof
Carrithers tore through the Florida State League when he was down there, and earned the promotion he received after the end of the FSL’s first half. The success he enjoyed has come to a screeching halt in Erie. He’s amassed 112 plate appearances and has just 17 hits to show for it, leading to an ugly line of .185/.330/.207. You can see he’s still drawing walks (16 BB, 15 K), but he’s hitting with almost no power. I would have thought he was just pounding the ball into the dirt, but he’s actually hitting more fly balls since going to Erie. He must either be getting under them or just lacks the power to make them hurt. Whatever the ball is doing off the bat, it’s not doing damage and while he’s not going to continue to carry a .221 BABIP, there’s clearly work to be put in.
I wouldn’t be all that surprised if Roof was putting in his last season. He’s about to turn 26 and is hitting .227/.271/.287 with just seven walks and 42 strikeouts. He’s also put in the better part of the last two years at the Double A level and this year’s gone worst than the last.
Lakeland
Brandon Douglas
Pat McKenna
Chris Sedon
When the Flying Tigers lost Carrithers after the first half, I was less concerned about them replacing his production than I was about their losing Kody Kaiser or Rawley Bishop. That’s not because those guys were more productive than Carrithers. It was because he was being replaced by Brandon Douglas as the team’s starting second baseman. When Douglas has been healthy, he’s hit and this year has been no different. He doesn’t drive the ball, but he makes contact and legs out a lot of hits. He’s 25, though, so he’s going to have to prove he can continue to do that at higher levels in pretty short order.
McKenna was a 27th round draft pick last season and his ultimate role in the organization was made pretty clear when he was assigned to the GCL for a second time after coming out of college. He’s not hitting like he’s accepting the role that suggests, though. He hit .326/.415/.587 in 55 plate apperances in the GCL and not that he’s getting some time with Lakeland, he’s hitting .444/.524/.611 in his 21 plate appearances there. I doubt it will change his ultimate role, but I bet it’s fun for him while it lasts.
Sedon spent a little time trying to earn a job as the Whitecaps’ second baseman but soon found himself back in the NY-Penn League. The good news for him is he already has almost as many extra base hits this year (2) in 18 plate appearances as he did last year (3) in 155. The bad news is he’s back in the NY-Penn League.
West Michigan
Jimmy Gulliver
Corey Jones
Gulliver was one of the players added to the Whitecap roster when they made their first major overhaul and released Mike Gosse as a part of it. Last year’s 20th round pick hasn’t offered much of a solution, hitting just .240/.290/.302 with eight walks and 28 strikeouts since being given the assignment.
Thankfully, Corey Jones has been a little more opportunistic since taking over as the team’s starting second baseman. He’s run into a bit of a cold spell since starting his time with the Caps on an 8 for 14 tear, but for the Tigers’ 7th round pick from this year’s draft it’s likely his job to lose. On the season, he’s hitting .297/.395/.405 in 45 plate appearances with four walks and eight strikeouts.
Connecticut
Alexander Nunez
Heading into the 2010 season for Connecticut, I would have thought Nunez and Robbins were the team’s two best position prospects. It’s therefore a little disappointing that Robbins has 36 strikeouts and six walks and Nunez has 35 strikeouts and four walks. With that awful ratio, it’s surprising they have been as productive as they have. Nunez less so, but he’s hitting .252/.285/.366 and over a third of his hits have been for extra bases. In terms of batting average and slugging, he’s right at the league average and that’s not bad considering their home park is tough on hitters. He’ll still need a steep improvement in how he handles that strike zone if he’s going to stay relevant as a prospect.
GCL Tigers
Peter Miller
Miller was the Tigers’ 40th round draft pick and is the son of Tigers’ scout, Barney Miller. So I’m not sure if it would have been more appropriate for him to be drafted by the team that employs his dad or by the Marlins (Fish). Yes, that’s an awful joke that many people won’t get but I don’t have a lot to say about him. He’s logged the third most time at second for this squad, but McKenna was promoted and Javier Azcona has more time at third. That leaves on Miller. So you get bad Barney Miller jokes and a mention of the fact that in his first 53 pro plate appearances, Miller is hitting .225/.415/.300. How’s he putting up that enigmatic line? Thirty of his 53 trips to the plate have either been a walk or a strikeout.
Overall Summary
For a while now, the Tigers have been deep at second base compared to what they've had to offer at other positions. I’ve always found that odd given the lack of depth at the position in the minors as a whole, but they have now dug beyond their depth. They just don't have enough after the loss of Placido Polanco, the temporary need to fill in for Carlos Guillen and Scott Sizemore being called on to fill in at third base. I think the best we can hope for is either Carrithers or Douglas will provide enough secondary skills to be a utility man in the next couple years and that they catch a break with either Jones or Nunez developing. Sizemore remains their best shot at being a true major leaguer, though, and if he can get comfortable in his big league skin he’ll prove just that.
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or on low-ceiling college players (2010). Not only are we lacking in solid position players, but our trade chips are pretty limited once you get past Turner and Oliver. 
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