The Detroit Tigers are in complete control of the American League Central as the 2025 MLB regular season begins to wind down. However, they are in a fight to win the No. 1 seed in the AL, as the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays have gone on a run to snag that spot from them over the past few weeks.
The good news is that there is still time for the Tigers to wrestle possession of the No. 1 seed back from the Blue Jays, but they may need some reinforcements down the stretch. With that in mind, the team has been predicted to promote one of their top prospects, Hao-Yu Lee, to come in and help them with their upcoming playoff push.
Tigers Predicted to Promote Hao-Yu Lee
The Tigers picked up Lee in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies back in 2023 that sent Michael Lorenzen the other way. Since landing with Detroit, Lee has gradually improved his game, and he has spent the entire 2024 campaign at Triple-A with Toledo, where he is hitting .232 with 12 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases.
While his batting average is a bit lower than the Tigers would like to see, Lee typically makes good decisions at the plate, and he’s a threat to make something happen once he gets on base. Beyond that, Lee is a versatile defender who can play at second base, third base, and shortstop. In 2025, Lee has virtually split his time at second and third base, playing 43 games at second and 48 games at third.
The No. 8 prospect in Detroit’s farm system, Lee has been knocking on the door to the majors all year long. With rosters set to expand on Sep. 1, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press believes that Lee’s promotion to the majors could be just around the corner, as the team could give him his first taste of the big leagues, while also potentially adding some extra help for the playoff push.
“Detroit Tigers prospect Hao-Yu Lee is coming soon,” Petzold wrote. “There isn’t a timetable, but the 22-year-old infielder — acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2023 Michael Lorenzen trade — could be promoted for his MLB debut at some point in the final 45 days of the 2025 season.”
Should the Tigers Promote Hao-Yu Lee?
GettyThe Detroit Tigers could promote Hao-Yu Lee to the majors in the near future
Teams typically promote some of their major league-ready prospects when rosters expand to give them their first taste of the pros without the weight of heightened expectations. Lee has been close to getting the call-up for quite some time now, so this could be the perfect time to give him some reps before the Tigers head into the postseason.
There are some concerns surrounding Lee, but no prospect is ever truly ready to get promoted to the majors. However, it has to happen at some point, and the timing for Lee’s promotion makes a lot of sense. Chances are he will have to wait until September to get the call, but it would not be a surprise to see Lee make his major league debut before the end of the 2025 season.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Detroit Tigers Predicted to Add Top Prospect ‘Soon’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.