Tigers promoting Mize, Skubal for MLB debuts

The welcome wagon is about to kick into overdrive in the Motor City.

The Tigers are promoting No. 2 prospect Casey Mize, No. 5 Tarik Skubal and No. 6 Isaac Paredes to the Major Leagues this week, the club announced Monday. Paredes is joining the club today as fellow infielder Dawel Lugo was designated for assignment. Skubal will get the start on the mound for Detroit on Tuesday against the White Sox in Chicago; Mize will make his debut a day later in the third game of the series.

Welcome to The Show!

The #Tigers today announced that three top prospects are scheduled to make their debuts this week: No. 2 RHP Casey Mize, No. 5 LHP Tarik Skubal and No. 6 INF Isaac Paredes. pic.twitter.com/CLkyTF6Dx7

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 17, 2020

The promotions of Mize and Skubal -- who rank as MLB.com's Nos. 8 and 50 overall prospects, respectively -- began to feel like a real possibility in recent weeks. The Tigers have been able to tread water in the American League Central with a 9-10 record, but its rotation has struggled mightily. Detroit starters rank last in the Majors with a collective 7.46 ERA and 29th of 30 with a 0.5 WAR, per FanGraphs.

A 23-year-old right-hander, Mize was the No. 1 overall pick out of Auburn in 2018, making him Detroit's second No. 1 overall pick all-time after Matt Anderson in 1997. (Spencer Torkelson joined that list this year.) The Tiger-turned-Tiger thrived in his first full season in 2019, posting a 2.55 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 106 strikeouts and 23 walks in 109 1/3 innings between Class A Advanced Lakeland and Double-A Erie. He threw a no-hitter in his Eastern League debut on April 29 last year. However, Mize did miss some time with a shoulder issue and was shut down in August, though those concerns appear to be past him following his time as a non-roster invite in the spring and his assignment to the alternate site in Toledo.

Mize thrives with a plus fastball (which can sit in the low to mid-90s) and plus slider, but his signature pitch is a 70-grade splitter that dives out of the zone and away from opponents' bats. He can throw the whole package for strikes, a skill that should translate well as he works to become the next ace in Detroit.

Skubal's ascension is just the latest chapter in an impressive though somewhat surprising pro career. The 6-foot-3 southpaw was a ninth-round pick out of Seattle University in 2018 but jumped into MLB.com's Top 100 ranks with a dominant 2019 campaign between Lakeland and Erie. His 179 strikeouts, 36.5 percent K rate and 2.11 FIP over 122 2/3 innings all ranked third in the Minors. He also finished with a 2.42 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and .196 average-against over 24 starts. His fastball and slider are both considered plus pitches, and he rounds out that set well with above-average offerings in his curve and change.

Paredes isn't a Top-100 prospect, but he brings his own level of excitement to Michigan. The Mexico native was acquired by the Tigers from the Cubs in a 2017 Trade Deadline deal for Justin Wilson and Alex Avila and has been young for every level he's played since. At 20 years old, he was the Eastern League's second-youngest player on Opening Day 2019 and managed to hit .282/.368/.416 with 13 homers in 127 games for Erie, good for a 133 wRC+. The right-handed slugger makes a ton of contact, as evidenced by just an 11.1 percent K rate last season, and takes his fair share of walks as well. He has experience at both shortstop and third base but has played more of the latter as he's gotten closer to The Show.

The Tigers, who were considered long shots even in an abbreviated 60-game season, sit 3 1/2 games behind the Twins in the AL Central and half a game back for the final AL Wild Card spot. FanGraphs gives the club a 14.8 percent chance at making the postseason, but the arrival of three of the club's top six prospects could cause those odds to change in the coming weeks.