The Detroit Tigers are set to promote pitching prospect Troy Melton, who will make his major league debut on Wednesday, as reported by Jason Beck of MLB.com. To accommodate his addition, the team will need to clear a spot on both the 40-man and active rosters.
Troy Melton, 24, was drafted by the Tigers in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He has rapidly ascended through the minor leagues, amassing impressive statistics during his journey. Across 66 minor league appearances, Melton has pitched a total of 273 innings, with 63 of those being starts. He has maintained a 3.63 earned run average (ERA) while achieving a notable 28.1% strikeout rate and a low 6.5% walk rate.
This season, Melton has performed exceptionally well in both Double-A and Triple-A, boasting a combined ERA of 2.99 over 75 1/3 innings. His walk rate remains commendable at 6.4%, while his strikeout rate has surged to 32.4%. Analysts have recognized his potential, with Eric Longenhagen from FanGraphs ranking him 80th on his preseason top 100 prospects list, citing his fastball velocity, which regularly exceeds the upper 90s, along with his effective slider and “splinker-style” changeup.
It remains uncertain whether Melton will secure a long-term spot in the rotation or serve as a temporary fill-in, especially given that the Tigers have a challenging schedule of 13 consecutive games following a chaotic All-Star break that disrupted players’ routines. As this is Melton’s first call to the majors, the team has the option to send him back down to the minors after his debut.
Currently, the Tigers’ rotation features Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Reese Olson, and Casey Mize, with Keider Montero’s position being less secure as he has transitioned between starting and bullpen roles this season. Depending on Melton’s performance, Montero could potentially be moved around again.
With the promotion of Melton, fans can look forward to witnessing the rise of another promising talent within the Tigers’ organization, contributing to the team’s rebuilding efforts and future success.