Zyhir Hope wasted no time making a first impression in his new organization, and on Thursday he gave the Double-A Erie crowd a reminder of why Detroit wanted him in the Tarik Skubal deal.
The 21-year-old outfielder, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 25 overall prospect for 2026, homered for the first time with the SeaWolves in just his third game since arriving in the Tigers’ system at the trade deadline. Hope drove a towering two-run blast to left-center field in Erie’s 10-6 loss to the Altoona Curve, Pittsburgh’s Double-A affiliate.
Hope had been putting together a breakout year with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers before the trade sent him to Detroit as part of the blockbuster package that moved left-hander Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now he’s trying to carry that same production over to his new stop.
The early returns in Erie have been quiet at the plate - Hope is 1-for-11 across those first three games - but the bigger body of work still jumps off the page. In 97 Double-A games this season, he’s hit .287 with a .367 on-base percentage and an .892 OPS, while piling up 24 homers, 89 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. His 2025 line was strong too: .266 with 13 home runs, 80 RBIs and 27 steals in 127 games between two minor league levels.
Hope’s climb has been a fast one. The Chicago Cubs took him in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of high school, and the Dodgers later picked him up in the January 2024 deal that sent first baseman Michael Busch to Chicago. Since then, he’s gone from the No. 326 overall draft pick to one of the top prospects in the sport.
Detroit’s top prospect, outfielder Max Clark, was recently called up to the majors. If he remains there for the rest of the season, Hope could enter 2027 as the organization’s highest-ranked prospect. For now, the newest Tigers farmhand is simply trying to finish 2026 on a high note.
In Other News...
Tigers Add Catching Depth As Dillon Dingler Picture Keeps Shifting
The Tigers have added another experienced catcher to the organizational mix, signing Seby Zavala to a minor league deal as they keep piecing together their depth behind the plate. Zavala, who was recently in the Mexican League after being released by the Dodgers, has already made his debut with Triple-A Toledo, giving Detroit a familiar veteran option at a position that has needed reinforcement.
It is the latest move around a catching group that has been constantly in motion, with several veterans either injured or no longer in the picture. For the Tigers, the appeal is straightforward: stabilize the depth chart, keep someone ready for call-up duty, and buy a little more time while the Dillon Dingler situation continues to evolve. [Read more 🡒]
Jackson Jobe Just Gave The Tigers A Reason To Dream Bigger
Jackson Jobes return to the mound Monday night gave the Tigers a jolt of optimism beyond the scoreline at Oracle Park. In his first major league start in nearly 14 months, the right-hander looked every bit like a pitcher who could become part of Detroits next wave, mixing a four-pitch arsenal while the offense backed him in an 8-0 win over the Giants.
The outing had the kind of edge the Tigers have been waiting to see, with Jobe showing poise, velocity and enough stuff to make the assignment look bigger than a routine rehab box score. Detroit also got contributions from several rookies on offense, a reminder that this clubs present and future can start to blur in a hurry when one of its most talented arms begins to look this ready again. [Read more 🡒]
Tarik Skubal Just Reopened A Debate Tigers Fans Thought Was Over
Tarik Skubals departure to the Dodgers did not close the book on his Tigers future so much as it left the next chapter sitting there for everyone to argue over. On a recent podcast, the left-hander said he hopes extension talks with Detroit can pick back up in November and made it clear he would love to return, a nod that will naturally land differently in a market that watched him go and now has to decide how much to trust the sentiment.
For Tigers fans, the skepticism is easy to understand, especially with the belief that Skubal did not make much effort to get a deal done before the trade. That leaves the front office with the familiar balancing act of weighing what a reunion might mean against the reality of how the relationship reached this point, and it is why his future in Detroit remains a live topic even after the deal itself is done. [Read more 🡒]