Brady Smith wasn’t the name drawing the loudest reaction when the Tigers picked him up in the Tarik Skubal deal. That was always going to be Zyhir Hope, and to a lesser extent River Ryan, the righthander who has already spent time in the majors and could help Detroit late this season.
But Smith is starting to look like the kind of prospect whose stock keeps moving the more people dig in.
On Friday, Baseball America named Smith one of five prospects out of 85 dealt before Monday’s MLB trade deadline who are “ready to climb” in its rankings. The 21-year-old righthander is now headed to high Single-A West Michigan after posting huge strikeout totals across two levels with the Dodgers, piling up 113 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. The production came with rougher surface numbers, though, as he finished 0-7 with a 4.36 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.
Smith was ranked as the Tigers’ No. 15 prospect by MLB Pipeline after the trade.
Baseball America’s Ian Cundall pointed to the progress Smith has made since Tommy John surgery in 2023, which came shortly after the Dodgers drafted him in the third round out of high school. Cundall called this “the 21-year-old Smith’s first healthy professional season,” and said his strike rates have taken a real step forward in 2025.
“... Smith’s strike rates in 2025 were poor, but they’ve dramatically improved this season.
His fastball strike rate is up 13% to 67%, and his control of his secondary pitches has improved across the board. In 2025, all three of his secondary pitches had strike rates between 43% and 46%.
This season, his curveball’s 54% strike rate is the lowest of his secondary offerings, and his changeup’s strike rate has jumped from 45% to 64%."
Cundall also noted that Smith has begun working deeper into games as the season has progressed. In June, he had 30 strikeouts and only three walks in 15 innings.
“... Smith has started working deeper into games as the season has gone on, and in June, he had 30 strikeouts compared to only three walks in 15 innings. Even though Smith has been in pro ball since 2023, he might just be scratching the surface of his potential and could end up being much more than the third piece in the Skubal deal.”
Smith was one of six prospects the Tigers added at the deadline. The others included lefthander Kash Mayfield in the Casey Mize trade, plus prospects named as players to be named later in earlier deals for outfielder Jahmai Jones and catcher Jake Rogers. Those later pieces were lefthander Jojo Ingrassia from the Boston Red Sox and righthander Zane Barnhart, a Hillsdale College product, from the Baltimore Orioles.
In Other News...
Tarik Skubal Talks Reveal The Tigers Price Milwaukee Wouldn't Meet
The Tarik Skubal talks at the trade deadline turned into a familiar kind of front-office stalemate, with Milwaukee circling one of the best arms available while Detroit listened. ESPNs Jeff Passan reported the Brewers had interest in landing the Tigers ace, but the sides never found a package that bridged the gap, a reminder that even a premium pitcher can be hard to pry loose when the asking price starts with the kind of young talent Milwaukee values so highly.
At the center of the impasse was the Brewers decision to keep their most prized prospects out of the discussion, a stance that speaks to how they view their long-term pipeline. For Detroit, that kind of resistance meant the market never quite got where it needed to go, and for a team weighing immediate help against future control, the Skubal pursuit ended with the Brewers holding onto the pieces they were least willing to move. [Read more 🡒]
Tarik Skubal Just Reopened A Huge Tigers Question
Tarik Skubals move to the Dodgers closed one chapter for Detroit, but it also kept an old question hanging in the air about just how long the Tigers would be part of his future. In a recent podcast interview, the left-hander spoke about how hard it was to leave the Tigers after the Aug. 1 trade and reflected on what the organization meant to him, even as he turned his attention to chasing a World Series in Los Angeles.
What makes the conversation linger for Tigers fans is the hint that this may not be the final word on his Detroit story. Skubal said there could be room for talks to pick back up after the postseason, which leaves open a path, however narrow, for the kind of reunion teams and players almost never talk about once a trade like this has gone through. For now, the Tigers are left with the emotional reminder of what they gave up, and the possibility that the biggest question around Skubal is still sitting there for later. [Read more 🡒]