A few of Detroit’s most intriguing young players are headed to the Arizona Fall League, giving the Tigers another chance to see who’s ready to climb fast and who still needs work before next season.
The group includes outfielder Zhyir Hope, who came to the organization in the trade that sent Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hope played 30 games for Double-A Erie and adjusted quickly enough to post six home runs, 24 RBIs, a .269 batting average and an .822 OPS.
“For me, it's opportunity, man,” Hope said when asked about heading to the Fall League. “The man up above has plans for all of us. I'm out here just playing travel ball, having a good time playing travel ball.”
The Tigers’ 2024 first-round pick, Bryce Rainer, is also going, according to MLB.com’s Sam Dykstra. Rainer spent most of his year with High-A West Michigan and put together a strong offensive line in 91 games, hitting 18 home runs with 67 RBIs and a .271 average.
The bigger issue for Detroit is the swing-and-miss in his game, after he struck out 151 times in 362 at-bats. He’ll also use the fall to sharpen his defense, after committing three errors in 75 games at shortstop in 2026.
John Peck will get another chance to make his case after making his MLB debut in 2026 down the stretch. The 25-year-old right-hander appeared in 39 games for West Michigan, going 4.45 with a 1.52 WHIP while striking out 51 in 54.1 innings.
The Tigers are also sending the 28-year-old from Warren, MI, who has plenty to prove after a rough 2026 season with West Michigan. He posted a 6.10 ERA in 36 games.
Another arm in the mix is Detroit’s 14th-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, who took a step backward in 2026 after a solid 2025 season with West Michigan. He finished the year with a 7.26 ERA in 20 games across 39.2 innings, and the Tigers need him to get on track if he’s going to push toward Double-A.
"The 6-foot-5 right-hander opened the season with the Washington WildThings in the Frontier League before the Tigers picked him up in June. He sported a 3.74 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP with 44 strikeouts in 33⅔ innings between the Florida Complex League, Single-A Lakeland and High-A West Michigan, and headed to his fifth team of '26 in Scottsdale," Dykstra wrote.
The final name in the group is Scott, who finished 2026 with a 1.86 ERA in 23 games for West Michigan. He struck out 54 in 48.1 innings and posted a 0.91 WHIP, making a strong first impression in Detroit’s system and putting himself in position to move toward Double-A in 2027.
In Other News...
Tigers May Have Found A Cheaper Matt Vierling Replacement
Scott Harris has made it pretty clear the Tigers are leaning toward a winter built on internal growth rather than splurging on the open market, and that philosophy is already shaping the conversation around the roster. With Gleyber Torres headed out and Matt Vierling potentially on the non-tender bubble, Detroit could be looking for a utility answer who can handle multiple spots without forcing the club into a pricey commitment.
Mauricio Dubn fits that profile as well as just about anyone available. He brings strong defensive value, he just put together a career-best offensive season, and as a free agent he would give the Tigers a cheaper way to keep the roster flexible while they sort out the infield and outfield mix. The appeal is obvious, even if the bigger question is whether Detroit sees him as the kind of stopgap worth prioritizing this winter. [Read more 🡒]
Riley Greene Just Gave Tigers Fans A Reason To Celebrate
Riley Greene has given Tigers fans plenty to feel good about all season, and now the outfielders work at the plate is getting a formal nod. Greene has been nominated for the Hank Aaron Award, which recognizes the best offensive performer in each league, a sign of how much his bat has meant to Detroits lineup during a year when the club has been trying to keep building momentum.
Greenes nomination stands out in a busy stretch around the league, with postseason races, roster moves and injury updates all jockeying for attention. It also adds another notable item to a Tigers conversation that has already included Justin Verlanders recent retirement and shift to MLB Network as an analyst, but for Detroit the bigger takeaway is simpler: one of its core young hitters is drawing national recognition for the kind of production that can shape a teams future. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers May Be Letting One Costly Mistake Shape This Offseason
Detroits offseason messaging has been clear enough: the Tigers want to keep building from within, leaning on player development first and using free agency mainly to fill in around the edges. The clubs baseball operations president said as much, stressing that the organization still plans to dip into the market when it makes sense, but with a priority on growing its own core rather than chasing help at every turn.
Still, theres a reason some around the game think Detroit may be extra careful about spending. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal pointed to the weight of the Javier Baez contract as a possible factor in how aggressively the Tigers move this winter, given the uneven return theyve gotten over five seasons. The same broader conversation includes the clubs major deal for Framber Valdez, which has gotten off to a tough start but is still viewed as the kind of commitment that could age better than the Baez agreement if the Tigers get the payoff they were hoping for. [Read more 🡒]