It was an eventful first half of the season for 36 former Tigers in professional baseball, including a MLB debut and multiple minor league promotions. Highlighted by the group below, a complete list of Tigers in the Pros can be found here.
MLB
Mason Barnett (Athletics)
2026 MLB (13 games): 1-0, 4.64 ERA, 2 SV, 21.1 IP, 17 H, 11 R/ER, 12 BB, 21 K, .218 B/AVG
2026 MiLB (9 games/starts): 3-1, 4.64 ERA, 42.2 IP, 39 H, 22 R/ER, 26 BB, 41 K, .244 B/AVG
After making his MLB debut prior to the end of the 2025 season, Barnett has bounced back-and-forth between Triple-A and the big leagues in 2026. In two stints in Triple-A, he has started nine games with 41 strikeouts in 42.2 innings. Barnett made his season debut with the Athletics on Apr. 19, turning in 2.0 scoreless innings against the White Sox, before turning in 5.0 scoreless innings and seven strikeouts for Las Vegas later that week, ultimately earning him Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors. He has been up with the Athletics since June 5, making 12 relief appearances, and has earned a win and a pair of saves, the first of his MLB career.
Edouard Julien (Colorado Rockies)
2026 MLB (79 games): .222/.332/.307, 33 R, 47 H, 7 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 34 BB, 5 SB
Julien is in his first season with the Colorado Rockies after being traded from the Minnesota Twins in January. After splitting each of the previous three seasons between Triple-A and the Major Leagues, he has remained on Colorado's active roster throughout the 2026 campaign. Julien appeared in 79 games before the All-Star break, batting .222 with a .332 on-base percentage across 212 plate appearances. He has added seven doubles, three home runs and five stolen bases while providing steady defense at second base and first base, committing just four errors in 215 total chances.
Casey Mize (Detroit Tigers)
2026 MLB (14 games/starts): 4-6, 2.79 ERA, 77.1 IP, 59 H, 25 R/24 ER, 18 BB, 77 K, .209 B/AVG
2026 MiLB (1 games/start): 0-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 5 K, .176 B/AVG
In his seventh season with the Tigers, Mize made 14 starts before the All-Star break and posted a career-best 2.79 ERA with 77 strikeouts and 18 walks in 77.1 innings. The former first overall pick allowed two or fewer earned runs in eight of his first nine starts of the 2026 campaign. After a couple of stints on the injured list, he turned in a career-best performance against the Yankees in June 29, striking out a career-high 10 batters while allowing just one hit over 7.0 innings. He became the first Tigers pitcher in 126 years of the franchise to record such a stat line. The 2025 All-Star is poised for his third straight season of 20 or more starts.
Ryan Watson (Boston Red Sox)
2026 MLB (30 games/0 starts): 0-0, 1 SV, 4.62 ERA, 48.2 IP, 46 H, 25 R/ER, 18 BB, 38 K, .247 B/AVG
Watson earned a spot on the Red Sox Opening Day roster and made his MLB debut on March 28 against Cincinnati, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with one strikeout. He became the 13th former Tiger to be called up to the big leagues since August 2020, the third most in the SEC. The Auburn native has appeared in 30 games out of the bullpen this season, posting a 4.62 ERA with 38 strikeouts across 48.2 innings pitched. The right-hander recorded a career-high four strikeouts over 3.0 innings of relief against the Braves on May 17 and earned his first MLB save in 3.0 innings of work vs. Baltimore on June 3. Watson has allowed just three runs in his last seven appearances and 10.0 innings.
MiLB
Ryan Bliss (Tacoma Rainiers - Seattle Mariners)
2026 MLB (3 games): .125/.280/.349, 0 R, 1 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 0 SB
2026 MiLB (74 games): .270/.347/.441, 41 R, 83 H, 23 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 20 BB, 17 SB
Bliss has spent the majority of the 2026 season with the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers, where he has continued to produce at the plate while working his way back to the major leagues. The former second-round pick made Seattle’s Opening Day roster and has played in three major league games in two stints. He returned to Tacoma in mid-June and since June 16 has been one of the hottest hitters in the Pacific Coast League, batting .417 with 40 hits, 12 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 18 RBI and eight stolen bases. Bliss has recorded three or more hits in five of his last six games, totaling 14 hits in his last four contests, and continues to build a strong case for another opportunity with the Mariners.
Blake Burkhalter (Gwinnett Stripers - Atlanta Braves)
2026 MiLB (13 games): 0-0, 0.56 ERA, 16.0 IP, 15 H. 5 R/1 ER, 3 BB, 22 K, .250 B/AVG
After beginning his fifth season in the Atlanta Braves organization on the injured list, Burkhalter has worked his way back to full strength through rehab appearances with the FCL Braves and High-A Rome before spending time with Double-A Columbus and rejoining Triple-A Gwinnett in early July. Since joining Columbus on June 15 after his rehab assignment, the right-hander hasn’t allowed a run in nine appearances and 11.0 innings pitched. He made six appearances at Double-A before being called up to Triple-A on July 3 and continues to establish himself as a dependable arm for Gwinnett.
Brody Moore (Memphis Redbirds - St. Louis Cardinals)
2026 MiLB (68 games): .286/.317/.322, 29 R, 69 H, 14 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 31 RBI, 23 BB, 13 SB
Moore has spent the majority of the 2026 season with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, continuing the consistent production that has defined his professional career. The fifth-year pro is on pace for a career-best season, batting .286 with 69 hits, 14 doubles, two home runs and 31 RBI in 68 games between Triple-A Memphis and Double-A Springfield. Moore has also made an impact on the base paths, stealing 13 bases while drawing 23 walks. After posting a .386 average in 23 games at Double-A, Moore will begin the second half of the season back in Triple-A. He has played every position on the infield this season, committing just three errors in 256 total chances.
Blake Rambusch (Arkansas Travelers - Seattle Mariners)
2026 MiLB (67 games): .279/.379/.339, 39 R, 62 H, 9 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 28 BB, 40 SB
In his fifth professional season with the Mariners organization, Rambusch and is on pace to set career highs in nearly every offensive category, turning in a .279 average with already a career-high 28 RBI at the All-Star break. After starting the season in Arkansas, Rambusch was promoted to Tacoma and made his Triple-A debut on June 10. In his second game, he went 3-for-4 with a double and hit .284 in 22 games the Rainiers. He has also emerged as a major threat on the base paths, swiping a career-high 40 stolen bases in just 67 games, including 10 steals during the month of July. Rambusch has stolen 130 bases in 337 career minor league games.
Ike Irish (Frederick Keys - Baltimore Orioles)
2026 MiLB (71 games): .262/.376/.468, 54 R, 69 H, 16 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 49 RBI, 42 BB, 18 SB
Baseball America’s No. 77 MLB prospect, Irish turned in a .262 average with 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 49 RBI in 71 games with Frederick en route to earning a spot in the All-Star Futures Game. The former first-round pick started for the AL team as the designated hitter and drew a walk in the contest. Prior to the break, Irish went on a nine-game hitting streak from June 23-July 2, culminating with his first multi-homer effort. He collected multiple hits five times and went 15-for-37 during the streak. He drove in 20 runs in June, including seven games with multiple RBI.
Eric Snow (Vancouver Canadians - Toronto Blue Jays)
2026 MiLB (68 games): .293/.369/.398, 37 R, 75 H, 15 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 45 RBI, 32 BB, 20 SB
Snow has been a bright spot in Toronto’s system in his second season with the organization, turning in a .293 average with a .369 on-base percentage, collecting 75 hits, 15 doubles, four home runs and 45 RBI across three levels. After hitting .285 in 43 games with Dunedin, Snow earned a promotion to High-A Vancouver and is hitting .313 with three homers and 19 RBI in 24 games with the team. He also made his Double-A debut with New Hampshire on May 3. The former sixth-round draft pick has registered 20 stolen bases while drawing 32 walks, and has spent time at second, third and shortstop this season.
With the 2026 MLB Draft now come and gone, Auburn had seven players selected for the second straight season, including a record-tying five players taken in the top 10 rounds. After signing, those seven players will bring Auburn's pro number to a record 43.