Every year, a handful of players ranked outside the top 10 in their respective farm systems take meaningful steps forward to improve their stock and vault up prospect rankings. Part of the fun is trying to identify those breakouts before it happens. So today, we\u2019re identifying Tigers prospects who have the potential to make a jump in 2026.<\/p>\n
To qualify, a player must rank outside the organization\u2019s preseason Top 10 prospects.\u00a0All scouting reports are from Baseball America\u2019s 2026 Prospect handbook, which you can purchase here<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can find Top 30 prospect rankings\u00a0for all teams here<\/a>\u00a0and all breakout candidates here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Breakout Prospects<\/p>\n Kelvis Salcedo<\/a>, RHP<\/p>\n BA Grade\/Risk: 55\/Extreme Track Record: A low-cost signing in 2023 out of Venezuela, Salcedo hasn\u2019t needed much time to establish himself as one of the Tigers\u2019 best pitching prospects. He impressed in the Dominican Summer League in 2024, combined on a seven-inning no-hitter in the Florida Complex League in June 2025 and pitched Low-A Lakeland to a Florida State League title later in the summer.<\/p>\n Scouting Report: Salcedo has some of the best stuff in the Tigers\u2019 organization, with a 93-98 mph shot put of a sinker and two excellent secondaries. His 86-88 mph two-plane slider and 84-86 mph split changeup both grade as future above-average pitches. Salcedo throws his fastball and slider consistently in the zone and frustrates aggressive hitters with split changeups below the zone for chases, generating miss rates above 50% in the lower minors. Salcedo is already thick in the middle with tree trunk-esque legs. His delivery is a bit unorthodox, which leads to concerns that he won\u2019t be able to maintain both his present stuff and average control long-term in a starting role. He is a bit stiff, but he repeats his delivery consistently and throws strikes.<\/p>\n The Future: There are worries about Salcedo\u2019s ability to keep doing what he\u2019s doing year after year, but he\u2019s shown he can generate weak contact and throw strikes. If he holds up, he could be a midrotation starter, with a solid fallback option as a high-leverage reliever.<\/p>\n Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Split: 55 | Control: 50<\/p>\n
Adjusted Grade: 35<\/p>\n