Brent Clevlen

Clevlen has thus far proven to be another overhyped prospect who couldn't make the jump from the low to high minors. The past two seasons have been near disasters with the only bright spot being a brief stint with the Tigers where Clevlen hit .282 in 39 at-bats. Other than that, it has been a struggle for Clevlen to keep his average above the Mendoza line. Clevlen whiffs too much (almost three strikeouts to every walk he earned last season) and until he shows signs of being able to cut down on the strikeouts he's not going to be anything more than a reserve player in the majors.

Clevlen struggled mightily at Double-A Erie last season but still managed to earn a promotion to the majors in June when the Tigers needed an extra outfielder because he had impressed manager Jim Leyland in spring training. He made the most of his opportunity by hitting .282 in 39 at-bats. The major concern with Clevlen is his high strikeout totals. He whiffed 137 times in 392 at-bats at Erie and struck out 15 times in his 39 major league at-bats. If Clevlen can't cut down on the strikeouts he'll struggle to establish the consistency needed to be a major league regular. He's expected to open next season at Triple-A and should see time in the majors if the Tigers suffer an injury to one of their starting outfielders.

Clevlen re-established himself as one of Detroit's better prospects last year. He bounced back from struggles in 2004 to win the Florida State League's MVP award. He'll begin this season at Double-A and should spend most, if not all, of the season there.

A second-round pick in 2002, Clevlen entered the 2004 season as one of Detroit's top hitting prospects. He struggled throughout the year, but the Tigers haven't given up on him. He has solid speed and a strong arm, but is still at least a couple of years away from making his major league debut.

At just 19 years old, Clevlen is probably Detroit’s top hitting prospect. He is hailed for his good instincts, solid speed, and strong right-field arm. Clevlen will begin this year in high Class A and is on course to reach Detroit in mid-2006.