Once upon a time, the Detroit Tigers had high hopes for right-hander Matt Manning. Drafted ninth overall back in 2016 out of high school, the six-foot-six hurler was once one of the gems of the Tigers' farm system, topping out as the club's No. 3 prospect as well as the No. 25 on MLB Pipeline's top-100 list.
Things didn't exactly go according to plan. Manning made his big league debut in 2021, getting 18 starts and logging 85 1/3 innings, both of which are career highs. He posted a 5.88 ERA along the way and watched the strikeout stuff he had shown in the minors evaporate, posting a paltry 6.