The Detroit Tigers already faced questions about the package they received when they sent two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers in August. Those questions grew louder after a recent scouting report on the player widely viewed as the centerpiece of that deal.
Outfielder Zyhir Hope, acquired along with pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith, has drawn concern over his physical condition.
Keith Law of The Athletic watched Hope in a Double-A game between the Tigers’ Erie SeaWolves and the Philadelphia Phillies’ affiliate and came away unimpressed with the 21-year-old’s conditioning.
“Outfielder Zyhir Hope, one of three players acquired by the Detroit Tigers from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline, suited up for Erie on Wednesday,” Law wrote. “He looks … rather out of shape, to put it mildly. He’s still got tremendous bat speed, but the body has gone backwards, and he’s moving and running more slowly than he did when I last saw him in March. Hope went 1-for-5, striking out on 95 mph up from Wood and hitting four ground balls, never running better than fringe-average on any of them.”
Hope entered the season as the Tigers’ No. 2 prospect and the No. 28 prospect in baseball. Scouting reports had credited him with above-average speed to go with plus power and a strong throwing arm.
Law’s observation suggests that speed and overall athleticism have slipped since spring training.
In 121 games this year, Hope is hitting .287 with a .366 on-base percentage, .513 slugging percentage, 28 home runs and 25 stolen bases. Since joining Detroit’s system his OPS has dipped about 20 points across 27 games.
The drop in conditioning matters because Hope’s value has always rested on a well-rounded skill set. Power and arm strength may hold up even if he carries extra weight, but reduced speed would hurt his range in the outfield and his ability to take extra bases.
The Tigers now face the task of getting their newest high-upside outfielder back into peak physical form before those tools erode further.
Hope’s path to Detroit began when the Chicago Cubs selected him in the 11th round of the 2023 draft. Los Angeles later acquired him in a deal involving Michael Busch.
With a deep group of outfield prospects already in the Dodgers’ system, the club was willing to include him in the Skubal package. The other two players Detroit received have seen limited action: Ryan has made one scoreless Triple-A appearance, while Smith has posted a 2.84 ERA in two High-A starts.
For a franchise that parted with an ace still in his prime, the early returns on Hope carry extra weight.
If the reports of declined conditioning prove accurate, the Tigers will need to act quickly so the trade does not look even thinner than it already does.
