The Future Tigers Take on the Future Pirates. Sort of.

Spring Breakout: Missing some names but worth the watch Spring Breakout is one of the better ideas MLB has had in recent years. a dedicated showcase game that puts prospects in the spotlight rather than buried in a B-squad spring box score. Friday night in Bradenton, the Tigers prospects take on the Pirates prospects at 7:35 p.

m. , and while the roster is loaded with names worth watching, it is also worth being upfront about who is not on it. Kevin McGonigle, the infielder who has arguably been the best story of Tigers camp — splitting time at shortstop and third base this spring — is not here.

Neither is Trei Cruz, who has quietly been one of the more interesting names in Detroit's system, nor Max Anderson, the organization's top infield prospect. That is not a slight against this roster Spring Breakout rosters are built with specific parameters, but if you were hoping this game would function as a full farm system preview, manage expectations accordingly. The pitching side carries its own notable caveat.

Detroit is not sending any of its top pitching prospects to this event. Hayden Minton leads the staff, joined by a mix of relief prospects including Dylan Smith, Moises Rodriguez, Johan Simon, Marco Jimenez, Tanner Kohlhepp, and Yosber Sanchez. That is consistent with how the organization has approached spring — protecting their younger starters and keeping workload decisions anchored to the big club's needs.