Detroit Tigers: Andre Lipcius needs to improve to be more than a trade chip

The Detroit Tigers used their third-round draft choice in the 2019 MLB First-Year Amateur Player Draft to select Andre Lipcius out of the University of Tennessee. The former Volunteers standout had some promise coming out of the college ranks; however, he has stalled in pro-ball.

The Detroit Tigers have to be expecting things to change with Lipcius if he will end up being helpful to this rebuild. However, Lipcius may be beyond that point at this point. It’s not to say he could not end up being a depth-role guy or finding a way to test him in the big leagues; he has to get there first.

It seems like the Tigers will need to see a lot from him for this to happen. He has not exactly had the smoothest of transitions into the professional ball ranks, so expecting more from him has to happen.

If things do not change, Lipcius might wind up being a throw-in as a part of a trade package, hoping that he can bring value to some other organization. Time will tell, but Lipcius has to improve his performance.

Detroit Tigers prospect Andre Lipcius has to be better.

It’s easy to see the intrigue he brought during his last season with the Vols in 2019. He played in 61 games where he hit .308/.399/.587 with 17 home runs and 58 RBI. This type of performance has not exactly translated into professional ball, but Lipcius has not been completely horrible.

Lipcius has bounced around between Single-A affiliates before getting his shot to play at the Double-A level in 2021. Lipcius played 116 games in 2021 between High-A and Double-A, where he slashed .243/.321/.399 with 12 home runs and 59 RBI overall.

He’s a corner infielder who has also logged time at second base. Essentially, he’s positionally flexible and someone who could bring versatility to the team if things work out. However, his lackluster performance thus far may limit him.

While Andre Lipcius will look to show improvements in 2022, he’s going to have to start getting the bat going. He’s got an open stance that can deliver some pop at times. However, some swing-and-miss worries come with Lipcius. He can swing over the top of the ball at times, but there’s still value to keeping him around.

A little bit of a sidenote/footnote is that Andre Lipcius has a twin brother, Luc Lipcius, who’s still at Tennessee and’s been mashing in 2022. It’s early, and the Vols offense has been a run-producing machine, so keep an eye on Luc Lipcius this season.