Detroit Tigers: Brady Policelli offers potential as future super-utility

The Detroit Tigers have plenty of prospects in the minor leagues, but Brady Policelli might have figured out his niche as a super-utility.

With Spring Training being well underway, the Detroit Tigers have made their first round of cuts/send-downs. The Tigers have kept Brady Policelli at the big league camp as a non-roster invitee who has not been sent down yet. Policelli is listed as a catcher, which is what he was drafted as back in 2016, but things have changed.

The Tigers currently have a plethora of catchers between the big league, Triple-A, and Double-A levels of the organization. Policelli spent the 2019 season with the Single-A Lakeland team, where he has begun to find his niche on how to reach the big leagues. Morphing from a one-dimensional catcher, Policelli has already started transforming into a super-utility.

The thing about Policelli that has prompted this evolution into a super-utility is his change in his abilities at the plate. He is not an absolute stud, but as he rises through the ranks, keeping his bat in the lineup at various positions should prove to be a good thing for the Tigers organization.

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In 2019, with Single-A Lakeland, the twenty-four-year-old hit .249/.331/.408 with eleven home runs and fifty-four RBI, while swiping eighteen bags on twenty-five attempts.

The range of production he offers to the organization makes him a valuable prospect who may not be a top twenty guy, but a dark horse to keep an eye on.

As Policelli progresses, he could start moving up the “Top Prospects” lists with consistent development and his increasing versatility.

As mentioned, Policelli began as a catcher but has since been moved to third base, shortstop, and all three positions of the outfield. This transfer all started because of a simple question posed during his days in Single-A West Michigan with the Whitecaps affiliate.

In an interview, Policelli spoke about how former manager Lance Parrish suggested the idea since he wanted to get Policelli back into the lineup more often. That is where he began his route to a super-utility by taking groundball reps at second base/shortstop and then also taking fly balls in the outfield to continue developing.

Policelli’s versatility would be a significant impact on a big-league team, providing he can break through the levels of the organization. Having a catcher who can also play infield or the outfield, and can swipe a bag would be such a benefit for the Tigers.

The expectation would not even be for Policelli to be some future all-star. Still, he could be a bench/platoon player who offers depth and versatility for the Tigers would be an excellent addition.

Hopefully, Policelli can exploit this niche he has found to excel in the Detroit Tigers organization as a super-utility.