LAKELAND, Fla — Austin Bergner stands on the pitcher’s mound in the TigerTown bullpens. The 24-year-old right-hander is throwing his brand-new slider to catcher Cooper Johnson. Positioned behind Bergner is Detroit Tigers‘ minor-league pitching director Gabe Ribas, a 42-year-old who spent the past four seasons as a pitching coordinator with the Los Angeles Dodgers. “A guy like Gabe Ribas is a very similar
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Finally, the matchup we’ve all been waiting for. Jackson Jobe vs. Izaac Pacheco. They were becoming close friends leading up to the 2021 draft, then the Detroit Tigers picked Jobe at No. 3 overall and Pacheco at No. 39 overall. Now that they’re in the same organization, their relationship has blossomed. They are represented by the
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Beau Brieske looked filthy — the highest compliment possible for a pitcher. Brieske was on the mound Monday morning on the backfield at TigerTown, throwing a live batting practice, mowing down everybody he faced. He struck out Roberto Campos with ease. It didn’t seem to matter who went up there, Brieske chewed them up. He has
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Jackson Jobe and Izaac Pacheco became good friends a few years ago as kids in amateur baseball’s showcase circuit. They fulfilled a shared dream of becoming pro teammates when the Tigers drafted both of them out of high school in last summer’s MLB Draft, then became roommates in the Tigers’ Minor League
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Lakeland, Fla. — You should have seen Eric De La Rosa tearing up the west coast JUCO circuit in 2018. The kid was unbelievable. Long, lanky, hitting right-handed in the three-hole for Grossmont College, a ridiculously high leg kick, just turning and burning on any pitch in the strike zone. And doing damage. Rickey Henderson-type damage.
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Lakeland, Fla. — A little perspective check Monday for Tigers’ first-round draft pick Jackson Jobe after he threw to hitters for the second time at this minicamp. He was asked how many home runs he’s given up in his professional career thus far? “Two,” he said, before being quickly corrected. The answer is zero. Minicamp homers
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers prospect Jackson Jobe is the neat freak. But what about Izaac Pacheco? “He is a slob,” Jobe said, laughing. “I’m always staying on him about making sure things are organized, making sure he’s picking up his trash.” The Tigers took Jobe with their top pick in the 2021 draft — the
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Jack Lopez can’t wait for the arrival of an old friend. At 29 years old, Lopez is the oldest position player on the Detroit Tigers‘ minor-league minicamp roster. The Puerto Rican-born infielder signed a minors deal with the organization in early February, after playing seven games for the Boston Red Sox last season. And
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