Shortly after Tarik Skubal was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a package of young players, including baseball's No. 28 prospect, Zyhir Hope, the Tigers went on a run and fans were still hopeful despite losing the best pitcher in the sport.
The Tigers came within one game of .500 and in a prime position to take the AL Central lead from the Chicago White Sox with a home sweep in August.
At that same time, Hope was struggling in the minors with the Tigers' Double-A affiliate, but that was flying under the radar because Detroit was playing so well. There was hope for a 2026 MLB Playoff berth. Meanwhile, there was some concern ramping up for the young outfield prospect.
Roles have since been reversed.
The Tigers are now far out of a playoff spot after stumbling near the end of August, while Hope perked up and now looks like the organization's future centerpiece.
After going 2-for-35 with one homer and three RBIs to start his Double-A Erie career, Hope has found his stroke and is hitting the cover off the baseball. He finished the month of August 16-for-42 with four extra-base hits (including two home runs) and 10 RBIs. His strikeout rate also dropped from 37.1% to 28.6%, so he clearly figured something out at the plate.
And through six games in September, Hope is slashing .375/.429/.750 with two home runs, eight RBIs, and a strikeout rate of 29.1%. He's rounding into form, and he looks like a guy who's primed to make the Opening Day roster in 2027.
There's finally hope for the future despite 2026 turning into a lost season.
Hope is raking right now.
The Tigers' farm system should make fans believe again
Scott Harris is getting the brunt of the criticism for this season's disappointing outcome, but he deserves credit for assembling one of the best farm systems in baseball.
The Tigers' farm system should make fans believe in the future.
While Hope is the current prized prospect, Max Clark was the previous one, and he has done a solid job in his short time in the majors. He's hitting .252 with two homers and 16 RBIs in his first 35 career games at the MLB level, proving that he's going to be a problem for years to come.
Outside of Clark and Hope (the future of the outfield), Bryce Rainer has been putting up numbers at High-A ball, slugging .483 with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs in 95 games. Cameron Flukey has been lights out on the mound after being drafted a couple of months ago, and Josue Briceño, Max Anderson, and Cris Rodriguez all look like future stars at the plate.
The Tigers are building through the farm system, and while fans may not have liked that when they were getting rid of their stars, the organization looks like it's building for what should be years of elite success.
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