Bless You Boys 2026 Detroit Tigers prospects #13: RHP Kelvis Salcedo
This young right-hander burst onto the scene last summer with a really nasty pitch mix and advanced strike throwing.
LAKELAND, FL - MARCH 16: The scoreboard displays a Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge sponsored by T-Mobile during the spring training game between the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 16, 2026 in Lakeland, Florida. The Tigers defeated the Phillies 13-6. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images While it feels like the baseball gods have laid low every Detroit Tigers pitcher under the age of 22, that’s not strictly true.
One of the beest stories at the A-ball levels last summer was the emergence of right-hander Kelvis Salcedo. While there is certainly signficant relief risk, Salcedo arguably boasts the nastiest set of pitches in the whole farm system already, so we’ll kick off our 45 FV tier with a pitcher who will have a lot of eyes on him in 2026 as he looks to build on a breakout campaign. The Tigers signed 20-year-old Kelvis Salcedo back in January 2023, as he was turning 17.
He hails from Santa Barbara del Zulia, Venezuela in the northwestern corner of the country. Salcedo wasn’t a big bonus prospect in a class where catcher Enrique Jimenez and outfielder Anibal Salas were the big names at the time, but he’s already outpaced them in terms of future major league projections. The young right-hander stands 6’0” but while his official weight is 180 pounds, he’s clearly bulked up since that weigh-in and has filled out in his chest and legs signficantly.
He looks like he’s probably touching 215 pounds or more. That additional muscle now powers a fastball that can clip 99 mph at max effort. It’s a fairly high effort delivery, but as he continues to develop things may come more easily for him.
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