Two Tigers teenagers turned heads in the Florida Complex League, and Baseball America took notice.
When the rookie-level circuit wrapped up its season, the publication’s ranking of the top 20 prospects in the league featured Detroit shortstop Angel De Los Santos at No. 2 and outfielder Cris Rodriguez at No. 18. The recognition comes as the MLB trade deadline nears and attention has centered on who the Tigers might deal for and who they might bring in, with Detroit already adding prospects through Saturday night’s blockbuster that sent ace Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers, plus minor deals involving catcher Jake Rogers to the Baltimore Orioles and outfielder Jahmai Jones to the Boston Red Sox.
De Los Santos, 18, put together a strong run in the FCL, finishing with six home runs, 27 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 51 games. He’s from San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, and Baseball America senior editor Josh Norris said the shortstop “used the league as a coming-out party, showcasing a scintillating skill set on both sides of the ball and plenty of paths to big league value.”
Norris also pointed to the production De Los Santos carried over after a strong showing in the Dominican Summer League in 2025. “De Los Santos was excellent in the Dominican Summer League in 2025 and carried that momentum onto the Lakeland backfields this year,” Norris writes.
“The 18-year-old infielder married an aggressive approach with a knack for finding the barrel, resulting in a .302/.373/.475 slash line in 51 games. He’ll need to become more selective at higher levels if he is to continue with that kind of production and get the most out of his above-average raw power.
“At shortstop, De Los Santos has the smooth actions and 55-grade arm strength that should keep him at the position. He is also a plus runner. All told, De Los Santos’ youth and blend of skills on both sides of the ball gives him tremendous upside and places him among the league’s elite.”
Rodriguez, also 18, made his way onto the list after hitting .274 with an .876 OPS in 48 FCL games. He added nine home runs and 30 RBIs, continuing to build on the reputation that made him a prospect to watch entering the season.
“Rodriguez’s scouting report is simple,” Norris writes. “He is a big man who hits the ball a very, very long way.
Now, the question is: Will he make enough contact to capitalize on his oodles of oomph? Scouts are not optimistic that he can, but they acknowledge that his raw power - which is easily double-plus if not a true 80 - will give him plenty of chances to unlock the remaining pieces of his offensive game.”
Baseball America’s broader Tigers rankings reflect the buzz around both players. Rodriguez sits No. 9 overall among Detroit’s top 30 prospects, while De Los Santos is No.
- MLB Pipeline has Rodriguez at No. 10 on its Tigers list and De Los Santos unranked.
The Florida Complex League itself is a minor-league rookie-level circuit that runs from early May to late July and includes 15 teams from the Braves, Orioles, Red Sox, Astros, Marlins, Twins, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Pirates, Cardinals, Rays, Blue Jays, Nationals and Tigers.
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