Bryce Rainer, Tigers' No. 3 prospect with big power, earns a promotion

Tigers shortstop prospect Bryce Rainer warms up using resistance bands during the minor league workout at Tigers spring training in Lakeland, Fla. on Feb. 18, 2026.

A top Tigers prospect is being promoted.

Bryce Rainer, a shortstop who is the No. 3-ranked Tigers prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was promoted to High-A West Michigan on Monday afternoon. He began the season at Low-A Lakeland.

Rainer, 20, is expected to make his debut for the West Michigan Whitecaps at home Tuesday night.

Rainer played in 11 games this season for Lakeland, batting only .167/.265/.310 across 42 at-bats, but he had a two-hit game Saturday, including a double. He has impressed with his hard-hit rate, and opened some eyes when he hit a 477-foot home run at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla., on April 10. The longest home run in Major League Baseball this season is 462 feet. Rainer's home-run ball left his bat at a staggering 116.2 mph.

Rainer was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of high school in California, and made his pro debut with Lakeland last year. His 2025 season was cut short by a freak shoulder injury that required surgery.

On the Tigers' list of prospects according to MLB Pipeline, he's behind only No. 1 Kevin McGonigle, who's in the major leagues with the Tigers, and No. 2 Max Clark, who's with Triple-A Toledo.

To take Rainer's place on Lakeland's roster, fellow shortstop Jordan Yost, 19, has been promoted from rookie ball to the Flying Tigers. Yost is the Tigers' No. 9 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He was the Tigers' first-round draft pick, No. 24 overall, in 2025, out of high school in Florida.