Spring Breakout Observations: Josue Briceno’s Rise as an Intriguing Tigers Prospect
LAKELAND, Fla. — The young man who has suddenly become among the most interesting players in the Detroit Tigers’ farm system grew up in Maracay, Venezuela. That happens to be the same hometown as another player Tigers fans know well: Miguel Cabrera.
Amazing, then, for Josue Briceno to get to talk and interact with Cabrera during Saturday’s Spring Breakout game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Cabrera, now a special assistant with the Tigers, was chatting up players during batting practice and stayed in the dugout for part of the game.
“It’s beautiful,” Briceno said afterward.
The ties between Cabrera and Briceno are even more interesting after hearing what another Tigers legend had to say Saturday afternoon. Hall of Famer Alan Trammell served as the manager for the prospect team (the Tigers beat the Phillies 5-1), and after Briceno belted a 111.7 mph double down the right-field line, Trammell was talking about the young player after the game.
“He’s got a nice swing for a big guy,” Trammell said. “Really fluid. But he can use the whole field. For a big guy, he really has a shorter swing. I hate to say Miguel Cabrera-ish, but size-wise, and (he’s) a guy who can use the whole field.”
In reality, Briceno’s left-handed, open-stance swing appears longer and features more of an uppercut than Cabrera’s ever did. But some of the other natural hitting similarities are there. Briceno raked last year in his first season playing in the U.S. He hit .325 with a .404 on-base percentage and seven home runs in rookie ball, then hit .295 in an 11-game stint as an 18-year-old at Class-A Lakeland. His performance quickly caught the eyes of evaluators, and this spring there have been scouting reports loaded with intrigue.
The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked Briceno as Detroit’s No. 10 prospect and noted that “he has loose, quick hands to continue to both hit and drive the ball.” Fangraphs wrote, “He arguably has the most overt upside of any low-level Tigers prospect besides Max Clark, and if Briceno can remain a catcher, you could argue his ceiling is even bigger than that because he has more overt power projection than Clark.”
Briceno has impressed big-league manager A.J. Hinch, and during Saturday’s batting practice he crushed a ball that nearly made it to Scott Harris’ office window way beyond the right-field wall at Joker Marchant Stadium.
So what’s the catch?
There’s a pun in here somewhere, but it is Briceno’s defensive ability at catcher. He was last listed at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds and has likely added more weight. He has an impressive, muscular frame but may be bound to outgrow the catcher position. First base could be in his future, and if he plays there the standard for his bat will grow higher. Briceno said he does daily agility and mobility work and hopes to stay behind the plate.
Regardless of where he ends up, Briceno may be the Tigers’ most interesting under-the-radar prospect to follow this season.
“The bat,” Trammell said, “is real.”
Jace Jung stole the show in Saturday’s game, homering twice and continuing to show his innate hitting ability. It’s the smaller things, though, that have Tigers people excited about Jung this spring.
“He’s all business,” Trammell said. “I think you can see it in his work and what he does. He’s serious, and he wants to be a big leaguer.”
Jung has put in constant work at third base and appears to be handling the transition from second base quite well.
“Like (infield coach) Joey Cora has described him, he has that internal clock on the defensive end, which is something you don’t teach,” Trammell said. “He just has that. We talk about it. Some guys have a hard time doing it. He does it, already.”
Philadelphia leadoff hitter Justin Crawford reached on an infield single to start the game, and it came with a teaching moment for Jung. He was playing on the grass but needed to take a couple of steps to his right so he could have a better throwing angle in case of a bunt or dribbler.
“That won’t happen again for him, I guarantee it,” Trammell said. “He’s awesome like that. You don’t have to tell this guy twice.”
First look at Max Clark
Max Clark, the No. 3 pick in last summer’s draft, is a force of personality. You see it in the long hair, the tattooed arms, the tight pants, the bright cleats, the outgoing presence on social media.
“I’m gonna say it because I believe this: I don’t think we’ve had a player of his personality that’s been a Tiger,” Trammell said, “and I think it’s gonna be great because he does it the right way.”
Clark went 0-for-2 with a walk Saturday but posted exit velocities of 93.2 and 103.1 mph on his two balls in play. After his walk, he showed off a high-end 29.1 feet per second sprint speed when he stole second.
“(The pitcher) was like a 1.55 to home,” Clark said later. “I can walk to second base with that kind of time.”
Clark, true to his reputation, was an energetic and engaging postgame interview, talking about soaking up wisdom this spring from others in the organization and championing the Spring Breakout game in general.
“This is probably one of the best events MLB has ever put on,” Clark said. “In all honesty, I think this is fantastic for the game because it’s not only growing our organization, our fan base, but it’s growing the entire game.”
As No. 4 pick Wyatt Langford shines for the Texas Rangers this spring, it is fair to question the Tigers’ decision to draft Clark. But it is unfair to make any real judgment just yet: Clark is 19 and a highly-ranked prospect with a bright future of his own.
More observations
• Catcher Dillon Dingler threw out two of three attempted base stealers Saturday as he continues to play well behind the plate. It’s funny. Early in Dingler’s pro career, the rap was that he had a great bat but needed to improve his defensive skills. Now it’s the opposite. Dingler is showing some great traits behind the plate — teammates have raved about his game calling and ability to control the running game. Whether he can hit will determine what kind of player he becomes in the big leagues. Dingler hit .253 in Erie and .202 in Toledo last season.
• Brant Hurter has been one of the more interesting prospects to follow this spring. He started February in big-league camp and drew strong reviews from A.J. Hinch. The stuff has a certain nastiness to it, particularly his sinker-slider combo. Hurter is a left-handed thrower who right now looks like he could become, at worst, a good lefty reliever in the big leagues. Reaching a higher ceiling in a starter role will require further developing his arsenal. One thing that could help: an increased emphasis on adding a four-seam fastball to his mix. “It gives a good, hard option in any count, really,” Hurter said. “Just because all my (other) pitches are going down. … It just messes with the hitters a little bit. It looks harder than it is because those other pitches are going down. Visually it might look 95, 96, but it could be 93.”
• Justice Bigbie continues to look like a hitter who is going to find a way to play in the major leagues this year. Hard to tell exactly what kind of player he might become, but Bigbie consistently hits the ball hard and has only furthered the strong impressions he made last year since coming to camp this spring. His single to right field Saturday had a 107.6 mph exit velocity.
• Official attendance was listed at 2,011. There seemed to be a lot of online interest in the prospect game, but the meager in-person attendance made for a sleepy atmosphere.
In conclusion, the Detroit Tigers’ farm system is full of intriguing prospects who showcased their skills during the Spring Breakout game. Josue Briceno, hailing from the same hometown as Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera, impressed with his hitting abilities and drew comparisons to Cabrera’s swing. However, there are concerns about Briceno’s defensive abilities as a catcher due to his size. Jace Jung also stood out with his hitting prowess and impressive defensive skills at third base. Max Clark, known for his personality, displayed his potential on the field despite going hitless. Other prospects, such as Dillon Dingler and Brant Hurter, showed promising improvements in their respective positions. Overall, the Tigers’ prospects have generated excitement and anticipation for the upcoming season.