00:00Welcome back Tigers fans, to another update from the farm system that continues to shape
00:05the future of the franchise. As we settle into the rhythm of the minor league season,
00:09the developmental ladder in Detroit is undergoing a significant shift, particularly at one of the
00:14most crucial positions on the diamond. With Kevin McGonigal already turning heads with his steady
00:18play at shortstop, the organization is now clearing the path for the next wave of elite
00:23infield talent to take the next step in their respective journeys. It is a clear signal that
00:27the player development machine in Lakeland and West Michigan is operating exactly as intended,
00:32pushing premium talent up the ranks and challenging them at higher levels of competition.
00:37While Kevin McGonigal continues to impress at shortstop, the Tigers' next highly rated shortstop
00:42prospects are moving up the developmental ladder. The club on Tuesday promoted no-three prospect
00:47Bryce Rayner from single-A Lakeland to high-A West Michigan and moved no-nine prospect Jordan
00:53Yoss to Lakeland to begin his professional career. Rayner's promotion had been expected,
00:57though the surface statistics from his first two-plus weeks might not have shown it.
01:02Tigers vice president of player development Ryan Garko hinted last month that Rayner,
01:06ranked no-30 on MLB Pipeline's top 100 list, could move to West Michigan quickly,
01:12once he showed he was ready to play shortstop regularly. After missing the second half of last
01:17season recovering from right shoulder surgery, we certainly want to challenge him when his body
01:22feels good and the swing timing is back, Garko said last month at the Tigers' spring breakout game
01:27against the Pirates. After returning to action on April 3rd, Rayner alternated between shortstop and
01:32designated hitter for a week and a half. He started at shortstop four times in five days last week during
01:38the Flying Tigers' six-game series at Fort Myers. You could just see right away the throwing mechanics and
01:43the way the ball comes out of his hand. It looks the same as pre-injury, which is really good
01:47to see,
01:47Garko said. And now, you can, see him, kind of dropping his arm and throwing from different angles,
01:54throwing on the run, you're seeing him feel more and more comfortable. The second half of his rehab,
01:59it was the goal to put on some weight and just gain some general upper body strength,
02:04which was the goal when we drafted him anyway, he really dedicated himself. That strength showed in
02:08his home run on April 10th, a 477-foot drive that ranks as the longest ball hit by a Tigers
02:14major
02:14or minor leaguer in the StatCast era. At 116.2 MMPH, it was also the hardest hit homer in the
02:22Tigers system by exit velocity since StatCast became the standard. The 20-year-old Rayner batted
02:277-4 42, 167 with the home run, three doubles and five RBIs with Lakeland. His 20 strikeouts and
02:3549 plate appearances are a concern, including six consecutive multi-strikeout games, but his half-season
02:42last year with Lakeland suggests that is more of an anomaly of a small sample size, as well as a
02:47result of shaking off some rust from lost at-bats. To fill Rayner's spot, the Tigers will unleash
02:52Jordan Yost, their first-round pick from last summer's MLB draft. The 19-year-old made a big
02:58impression in spring training by hitting a grand slam in his first spring training at-bat on March 15th
03:03in his hometown of Tampa, Florida. The drive showed off the strength he built up and the 13 pounds he
03:09added, after working out and following a diet under an off-season plan designed by Tigers nutritionists,
03:15as well as the increased bat speed he developed, I think he's starting to really round out as a
03:20complete player. Garko said of Yost last month, Yost's arrival in the Florida State League follows
03:26the same plan the Tigers had last year with Rayner, their 2024 first-round pick out of high school,
03:32with Rayner now facing the challenge of high-A pitching and Yost stepping into the spotlight in
03:37Lakeland. The pipeline at shortstop looks as deep as it has in years. We know the strikeouts are a
03:42part of Rayner's adjustment period right now, but when you see the tape of a 116-mile-per-hour
03:48rocket off his bat, it becomes clear why the organization is eager to challenge him. Are you
03:53more excited to see how Rayner's power translates against Midwest League arms, or are you looking
03:59forward to watching Jordan Yost's first professional at-bats as he follows that same blueprint in the
04:04Florida State League?
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