When Troy Melton was first featured right here at FanGraphs in August 2023, he was described as a “Tigers Pitching Prospect on the Rise.” Then with Excessive-A West Michigan and in his first full skilled season, the 2022 fourth-rounder out of San Diego State College was climbing the rankings thanks largely to a agency fastball and plus command. As Eric Longenhagen put it, “His fastball’s impression alone ought to be sufficient to make him a superb large league reliever even when his secondary stuff doesn’t develop.”
Two years later, the 24-year-old right-hander was ranked the fifth-best prospect within the Tigers system and seventieth total in our 2025 up to date Prime 100 listing. His ascent has landed him in Motown, and a markedly improved repertoire is a giant purpose why. Furthermore, he has been one of many crew’s only pitchers since his late-July arrival. Over 10 appearances — seven out of the bullpen and three as a starter — Melton has logged a 2.25 ERA and a 3.66 FIP over 32 innings.
An argument might be made that Melton is at the moment the second-best beginning pitcher on the Tigers roster — behind solely Tarik Skubal — though he isn’t getting a chance to indicate it. The AL Central leaders are primarily utilizing the rookie as a reliever, the explanations being twofold: The 107 1/3 innings he’s thrown between the minors and majors are already a profession excessive, and Detroit would quite use him extra than simply each fifth day. Based on Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press, supervisor A.J. Hinch stated, “It’s a bonus to have Troy Melton out there extra typically, even when it’s simply in shorter bursts.”
Hinch went on to say that the Tigers “might begin him down the highway this season,” and outcomes counsel that might be a good suggestion. Over the previous six weeks, the foursome of Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Charlie Morton, and Chris Paddack has registered ERAs starting from 4.66 to five.81. In the meantime, Melton’s mark over his three begins, masking 17 innings, is 3.18. Previous to his call-up, the teen customary a 2.72 ERA and a 32.4% strikeout fee throughout 18 video games (16 begins) with Triple-A Toledo.
Which brings us to his evolution as a pitcher. Two years after speaking with him down on the farm, I caught as much as Melton to ask what has modified. How does he differ from when he was taking the mound within the Midwest League?
“I’m the identical individual, for certain,” Melton informed me at Comerica Park within the penultimate week of August. “Pitching-wise, although, there’s a large distinction between Excessive-A and right here. Even from Triple-A and right here. Getting extra according to execution is the largest factor. There have been some new grips and pitches, however executing extra typically has been my most important purpose.”
The point out of recent grips and pitches was proper up my alley, so I proceeded to ask Melton concerning the changes he’s made to his repertoire.
“In Excessive-A, I didn’t have a curveball in any respect; I used to be utilizing a giant sweeper as that form of pitch,” he stated. “So, I modified from sweeper to curveball — this was within the offseason going into 2024 — only a conventional knuckle-curveball proper over the horseshoe. Initially it was presupposed to be a pitch to get into counts with one thing apart from the fastball, but it surely has become a pitch the place I can get swing-and-miss, and even strikeouts.”
Apparently, the curveball has been Melton’s least-used pitch as a Tiger; he’s throwing it simply 5.1% of the time. Extra impactful has been his slider. Whereas he used to throw a sweeper and a cutter, the previous is now “a real slider.”
“I throw it tougher now,” Melton defined. “When my slider was extra of a sweeper it was round 81-82 [mph], and now it averages 86ish. It’s depthier, round unfavourable two or unfavourable three on the charts, and with much less horizontal.
“The cutter has been rather a lot firmer this 12 months, as effectively,” he added. “After we talked earlier than, I used to be in all probability throwing it 86-87 on common, and now it’s 90-91 with shorter motion. It’s extra a fastball than it was. Earlier than, it had been type of like a bizarre hybrid breaking ball. It was a superb pitch, however not an awesome pitch. Now I’m in a greater spot the place it’s a bit bit tougher with a bit tighter motion.”
Per Stacast, Melton’s slider and cutter utilization has been 25.2% and 10.4%, respectively. After which there may be his new fastball. Together with a 96.9-mph four-seamer, which he’s throwing at a 36.9% clip, Melton is mixing in 95.4-mph sinkers at 15.3%.
“Metrically, the 2 isn’t the prettiest pitch on the earth,” he admitted. “I do throw some good ones, but it surely’s extra that it’s not simply four-seam, four-seam, four-seam on a regular basis. I can change their eyes and make it tougher for them to gear up for only one. It’s extra of a two-seam than a sinker, however I name it a sinker only for my mind after I’m throwing it.”
Whether or not or not the Detroit mind belief chooses to make use of Melton as a starter down the stretch may very effectively impression the crew’s fortunes. The Tigers might have the division locked up, however with a .500 report for the reason that starting of July and 6 losses of their final eight video games, they now not have a agency grasp on the highest seed within the American League. These September video games are going to be significant.
For now, the Tigers seem like staying the course with their rotation, and that might show to be the sensible transfer. Possibly it’s useful to have Melton out there to pitch extra typically than he would as a starter, and it makes some sense that the Tigers think about Flaherty and Mize. Flaherty has an bloated 4.66 ERA over the past two months, however his peripherals (3.03 FIP, 3.37 xFIP) counsel he’s been a greater pitcher than that, and Mize was an All-Star this season for his glorious first half. In the event that they flip issues round over these subsequent few weeks, they might be a part of Skubal to type a frightening postseason rotation trio. In that case, Melton might be extra helpful as a dependable reliever than because the fourth man within the rotation, though deadline additions Morton and Paddack look to be cooked. But when issues don’t break Detroit’s approach with Flaherty and Mize, it’s truthful to wonder if the crew has a starter apart from Skubal that it could possibly belief greater than Melton.
Both approach, because of some key changes, Melton is rising as an vital piece for the Tigers at exactly the fitting time — even when it’s unclear what particular function he’ll fill down the stretch and within the playoffs.
