Tigers’ Prospect Joseph Montalvo: Intriguing Arm, Unfinished Story
When the Tigers shipped veteran reliever Andrew Chafin to the Rangers at the 2024 trade deadline, it wasn’t a blockbuster move by any stretch. But Detroit wasn’t looking for a headline-they were looking for upside. And in return, they got two pitching prospects: sidearmer Chase Lee, and the more intriguing piece, right-handed starter Joseph Montalvo.
At the time of the deal, Montalvo was on the shelf with a torn ligament in his foot. That injury may have made him more available than usual, but the Tigers saw enough in his profile to make the move.
Before the injury, Montalvo had been putting together a strong stretch in High-A, commanding attention with a mix of savvy pitchability and sneaky effectiveness. He’s not a flamethrower, but he was striking out nearly 30 percent of hitters and generating a ton of weak contact in the air-exactly the kind of efficiency that can carry a pitcher through the minors if the stuff ticks up.
Unfortunately, 2025 didn’t go according to plan.
Montalvo came into the year with some momentum, but his first taste of Double-A exposed some growing pains. The strikeout rate dropped, and his performances were inconsistent from outing to outing.
That’s not uncommon for a young pitcher adjusting to more advanced hitters, but the hoped-for jump in velocity or sharpness didn’t materialize early on. Just as he seemed to be settling in with a few solid starts in late May and early June, he was hit with another setback-an arm injury that shut him down for the rest of the season.
The Tigers didn’t release many details, which tends to suggest it wasn’t a major surgery like Tommy John. But in September, Montalvo posted a photo on social media wearing a full arm brace on his throwing arm-three months after the injury.
That’s not the kind of image that inspires confidence, and it leaves his status heading into 2026 a bit murky. For now, there’s cautious optimism he’ll be ready for spring, but nothing is certain.
Physically, Montalvo checks a lot of boxes. He’s listed at 6'2", 185 pounds, with the kind of lean, athletic frame that could support a velocity bump down the line.
He’s flexible, moves well on the mound, and has a fluid delivery from a low three-quarters slot that adds deception. His ability to manipulate pitch shapes and angles gives hitters a lot to think about-he’ll jam lefties with a riding fastball to the glove side, then turn around and run it arm side with a different look.
That kind of nuance is what scouts like to call “pitchability,” and Montalvo has it in spades.
He’s not going to blow anyone away with raw stuff, but he keeps hitters off balance by rarely showing them the same pitch twice. He’s capable of inducing weak fly balls, pop-ups, and swings and misses with a well-executed plan.
But the margin for error is thin. When his command slips or his pitches flatten out, the ball tends to leave the yard in a hurry.
Without premium velocity, mistakes get punished.
That’s why the next step in his development is so important. The Tigers believed in his ability to command three pitches when they acquired him, but to become a real factor in the upper minors-and eventually in the big leagues-he needs more than just feel. He needs a bit more firepower.
His fastball currently sits around 93 mph, but there have been days with the Tigers where the velocity dipped. If he can get to a steadier mid-90s range and sharpen the changeup, he’s back in business.
The slider, a sweeping 83 mph offering, is already above average. The changeup flashes promise, but it’s a little firm and still needs polish.
There’s definitely a path forward here. Montalvo’s athleticism and ability to command the ball give him a foundation to build on.
If the offseason rehab has gone well and he shows up healthy this spring, he’s got a shot to re-establish himself quickly. The upside is still there-maybe not front-line starter upside, but enough to dream on a solid mid-rotation arm who can keep hitters guessing and work deep into games.
But the clock is ticking. Injuries have already slowed his progress, and 2026 could be a make-or-break year in terms of staying on the radar. If he can stay healthy and start stringing together quality outings at Double-A, he’ll climb back up the prospect rankings in a hurry.
For now, Montalvo remains one of the more intriguing “wait and see” arms in the Tigers’ system-an unfinished story with a few promising chapters already written.