When the Tigers drafted Ryan Kreidler with their fourth round pick in the 2019 draft, it mostly went disregarded by fans more interested in first rounder Riley Greene. Kreidler came out of UCLA with solid grades for hit tool potential, but below average power marks. Two years later, he turned heads by exploding into the high minors with a strong display of home run power and a rebuilt swing, eventually earning a promotion to the Triple-A Mud Hens.
His offensive performance made him impossible to ignore, especially since he mans a valuable middle infield position. There were still plenty of concerns about swing and miss, with Kreidler still largely relegated to utility infielder projections, but the potential for more was clear.