Two Tigers Top 10 Prospects Earn Major End-of-Season Honors

The Detroit Tigers have one of the best farm systems in Major League Baseball. Since Scott Harris took over as President of Baseball Operations, Detroit has seen a handful of internally developed stars make their way to the show, and two more could be on their way sooner rather than later.

With Brett Callahan, Ben Malgeri, Andrew Sears, Hao-Yu Lee, Kevin McGonigle, and Max Clark among others debuting this season for the Tigers, a handful of other prospects continued developing in the minor leagues. So much so, two Detroit Top 10 prospects were named highly by MiLB Central.

According to MiLB Central on X, infielder Max Anderson, the Tigers' No. 10 prospect, was named top hitting performer for the season, and left-handed pitcher Ben Jacob, the Tigers' No. 6 prospect, was named top pitching performer by MLB Pipeline.

Recapping Max Anderson's Season

If there were a case for another prospect to have made his debut this season, it would be Max Anderson. Anderson impressed all season at the Triple-A level, with many wondering why he wasn't called up, even in September.

Anderson ended his Triple-A season with 15 home runs, 57 RBIs, and a .302/.386/.477 slash line, holding an OPS of .863. With the ability to play both second and third base, Anderson is making his case indisputable this offseason to earn an opening-day roster spot in 2027.

On top of the power, Anderson hit 24 doubles, which would have ranked him fifth on the Major League roster. With Gleyber Torres unlikely to return, second base has become a question for the Tigers, but Anderson should be in the conversation.

Anderson is Rule 5 Draft-eligible this offseason, so the Tigers will need to add him to their 40-man roster before the deadline to avoid losing him.

Ben Jacobs Emerged

If Detroit fans haven't taken a look at what Ben Jacobs did in 2026, they'd better get acquainted fast, because he may be on the fast track to the majors. The Tigers' 2025 third-round draft pick out of Arizona State made his way to the West Michigan Whitecaps (High-A) and impressed.

In 18 games with the Whitecaps, 17 games started, Jacobs held a 4.04 ERA in 75.2 innings pitched. Mixed in, Jacobs struck out 108 batters to 35 walks, so the top prospect has something to work on this offseason and beyond: his command.

What likely earned Jacobs the title of MLB Pipeline's Pitching Performer of the Year was his ability to rebound after facing challenges in his initial starts with the Whitecaps. In August, he recorded an impressive 0.44 ERA over four starts, striking out 25 batters in 20.2 innings. He ended with a 3.60 ERA in his final start in September.

At 22, Jacobs will need 2027 to be a leap in the right direction in terms of productivity. While he shouldn't be projected to make the opening day roster next season, he could be an end-of-season call-up when there will likely be a need for pitching depth, potentially leading to a 2028 role.