00:00Hey Tigers fans, let's talk about one of our promising young arms, Jake Miller.
00:05You can hear the pure excitement in his voice as he gets ready for his very first spring
00:09training in Major League camp.
00:11This is the moment this left-handed pitching prospect has been grinding for, putting himself
00:16right on Detroit's doorstep and positioning himself for that shot at the big leagues.
00:21Now, this camp in Lakeland, Florida, will be one of the most exciting times in Miller's
00:25career so far.
00:26But it's also going to be a bit frustrating, while he'll be there alongside several other
00:31promising young pitchers, he won't be on the mound to pitch, at least not right away.
00:35His 2025 season was derailed by injury, culminating in surgery on both hips, and he's now in the
00:41late stages of his rehab.
00:43He's got a great attitude about it though.
00:45After taking part in MLB's off-season rookie program, Miller said, I'm kind of playing
00:50with house money, you get to be around, all these guys, and just observe.
00:54I think there's so much value in observing what they do and how they go about their days.
00:59I'll start throwing, obviously, but I think I'll have plenty of time to just observe and
01:04be a sponge.
01:05Just learn as much as I can.
01:07For you fans who follow our farm system, you know it's been ranked among baseball's best
01:11lately, but it's become very hitter-heavy at the top.
01:14On MLB Pipeline's latest Tigers prospect list, the highest-ranked pitcher is Jaden Hamm at number
01:1910.
01:19Of the 13 pitchers on that list, only Ty Madden and Dylan Smith have pitched above AA.
01:24Jake Miller is a prime example of the Tigers' current pitching prototype.
01:28We drafted him in the 8th round back in 2022 out of Valparaiso, where he played for head
01:32coach and former Tiger Brian Schmack.
01:34He's moved up through our system effectively as both a starter and reliever.
01:38Here's why he's a name to watch.
01:40Aside from Madden and Smith, Miller might have the best chance of any pitcher on that list to
01:45see time in Detroit this season.
01:47If he gets back to form, he could follow a path similar to Troy Melton for a potential
01:51late-season role.
01:52He's a different style of pitcher.
01:54A deceptive lefty with a wipeout slider and a quality changeup to go with a low-90s
01:58four-seamer and sinker.
02:00When he's right, he pitches with that same aggressiveness and comfort in any situation.
02:05But as with so many young pitchers, health is everything.
02:08His breakout was in 2024, a 9-3 record with a 1.85 ERA across three levels, racking up
02:16104 strikeouts against just 65 hits in 87-1-3 innings.
02:21That earned him a spot in the Arizona Fall League, where he struck out 24 more batters
02:25in just 16-2-3 innings.
02:28Last season started in Erie's rotation, but a twinge of back tightness in his first start
02:32led to just four outings before a stress fracture diagnosis.
02:36The real root cause.
02:37Tests revealed a torn labrum in his left hip, similar to what former Tigers reliever Chase
02:43Lee dealt with.
02:44Later, his right hip showed damage too.
02:47Miller underwent two surgeries a few weeks apart.
02:50Now, after regaining strength and mobility, he's set to begin throwing again soon.
02:55Being in big league camp means he'll work directly with pitching coach Chris Fetter and
02:59biomechanics expert Robin Lund to refine his mechanics.
03:02Miller believes his delivery won't be impacted, saying,
03:05If anything, I think it's going to be better.
03:08His goal is straightforward.
03:09The main goal for me, obviously, is to make it to the big leagues.
03:12And what comes with that is being healthy.
03:15Being available.
03:17So Tigers fans, what's your level of optimism for Jake Miller's comeback and his chances of
03:22impacting our big league pitching staff this season?
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